It's Been a While
by Valerie E. Mackin
Summary: Rose has returned from the parallel world to warn the Doctor of the cracks that are everywhere, in every time, erasing everything. Unfortunately, she arrives both earlier and later than she'd hoped and far later than the Doctor realizes. Of course, what's an adventure with Rose and the Doctor without a few surprises and a few old friends and an enemy along the way? Rose/11
1. Chapter 1

After all the work, all the heartache, and a lifetime's worth of happiness, Rose Tyler's life has yet another defining moment.

"Are they safe?" the Doctor asks. His withered hand clasps hers with so much less strength than she remembers. It contrasts sharply against her own smooth, unlined skin, but then, it has for years now.

"Are they safe?" he whispers again. His heart—his single human heart—stutters but doesn't fail. Not yet, at least.

"Rose?"

She shakes her head, jerking herself forcibly from her drifting thoughts. He's only human, but she learned long ago that despite all the differences, despite the frail human body, this is still most definitely _her_ Doctor, and he needs her now.

Because after so many long years together, a whole life full of new adventures, he is finally dying. And she is not.

"Who, Doctor? Which d'you mean this time?" There are so many people they've met, people they've saved, people they've shared adventures with, loved even. So many people to watch out for and worry about.

"Martha…Mickey the Idiot…Captain Jack…Sarah Jane? Donna?"

His old companions, as he'd taken to calling them. She wonders for a moment whether he means the versions of their friends from their original universe or the people they've met and grown to know over the decades in what Rose still thinks of as her temporary residence.

Of course, home is where the Doctor is, so…

"Martha retired several years ago from medical practice. You remember Sarah Jane passed away a while back, but her son is still doing well. Donna's granddaughter graduated from college last month. Mickey and Jack…"

She trails off, not sure what to say. Through their years together, Rose and the Doctor managed to locate this universe's versions of most of their old friends, but they were never able to find any Captain Jack Harkness or similar. As for Mickey, well…they both remembered what happened to both of the Mickeys from this place.

"Other universe, I remember." The Doctor is quiet now, and Rose wonders just how much time he's got left. They're in the bedroom they've shared for the last twenty years, one of half a dozen they've shared in their life together.

Even after half a century with her, the Doctor still doesn't like hospitals and absolutely refuses to die in one, even if it does have a terrific shop.

"I miss all your make-up sometimes…the way it would run down your cheeks when you cried…the way your eyes looks so huge sometimes."

She smiles at the memory; she stopped wearing the layers of cosmetics decades ago. There just didn't seem much point to all the fuss anymore, and at her age it just seemed silly.

"I could go put it on for ya, if y'like."

"No, no. I'm not complaining; you'll always be the loveliest thing in the universe to me, painted or not. Don't you think it's funny, though?"

"What is, Doctor?"

"Us. You. Me. _Him_. How all this turned out in the end" She knows which him without asking. Ever since they realized what was happening with Rose, her Doctor began referring to the original version as "_Him_." He seemed furious, usually refused to acknowledge the other Doctor at all, most of the time.

Rose knew, though, that he was just as furious with himself for not realizing sooner what would happen. After all, they were the same Doctor at that point.

"I'm so sorry, Rose. I promised you. I promised you this life together."

She smiles through her tears; she's never held them back in front of him before, no point in starting now.

"If you think about it, Doctor, it's me who's broken the promise, really, not you."

"Doesn't matter, you didn't make the promise. I did. Wasn't yours to keep."

She sighs, wiping her cheeks. No use arguing with him when he's like this.

"I need you to promise me, Rose."

"Of course, Doctor."

"We've done a lot of dangerous things, you and I. We've done some great things, some stupid things, and some stupidly great things, but I have to ask you to do the stupidest thing of all now."

She doesn't hesitate. "Anything."

His next words are strained as if it's a struggle to get them out, and she grips his hand tighter.

"The cracks…you've got to find a way to get back to…_Him_. To the other Doctor. If he doesn't know, you've got to warn him. If he does, you can help him…somehow. You always do." He finishes with a wheeze that degrades into a coughing fit.

Rose forces herself not to think of what this coughing means as she helps him take a sip of water. They're both quiet for a long time.

"I promise."

"Rose."

"Yes, Doctor?"

"My Rose Tyler. You…have our book to help you so you don't find him…me…too early?"

"Of course, Doctor."

"I never said it often enough."

She doesn't have to ask what he means.

"I said it enough for the both of us…and you told me every day in different ways."

"Not…enough."

She smiles and kisses his hand. "You said it. That day on the beach. That's always been enough for me."

The Doctor finally smiles. "Best decision I ever made, and one of the very few I never regretted." He turns serious again almost instantly.

"I would have married you if you'd let me."

"Neither of us needed a piece of paper saying what we already knew."

"Not the point, Rose."

"I love you, too, Doctor."

He raises a weak, trembling hand, and she presses her cheek into its wrinkled palm.

"Beautiful as the day I met you."

"So are you."

"Not the same," he mutters, his eyes closing. His breathing eases, evens out, and deepens. Soon, he is snoring lightly. She lowers his hand from her face but doesn't release it.

He regrets never being able to give her children, but she insists she never wanted kids anyway. She is mostly telling the truth.

Two hours later, his heart stops. He has asked her to not have him revived if this happens. She gently lays his hand down by his side. She glances numbly around the room at the various articles of his day-to-day life that have collected: a pair of thick reading spectacles laying on the bedside table, ones for necessity rather than looks; an uneaten banana; several ties strewn about on the dresser top. It's an ordinary room for an extraordinary man.

He doesn't die with the trumpets and fanfare he deserves, with the universe singing praises and paying homage to its continual savior. He doesn't receive a grand ceremony or scores of honors or posthumous awards for everything he's done to help…well, everyone.

But he doesn't die alone, and for that Rose can only be glad. She stands, wipes her face, and makes the necessary phone calls. There aren't many. Her mum and Pete are long gone. Tony has grandchildren, but she doesn't see them much. Too many awkward questions.

Their affairs have been in order for quite some time; they knew this day was coming.

A week later, Rose finishes packing her last bags. She's stayed long enough for the funeral, long enough to say good-bye to the few of her friends she has left who will show up. It's too painful for most of them, as they didn't know the Doctor the way their parallel selves did. And everyone's just a bit uncomfortable around Rose. She doesn't mind; she understands.

She says good-bye to the best man she's ever known. Then she sets off to find him again.

_Author's Note: Just a little idea that came to me while watching the show one day. Everything seems to have such far-reaching effects in the Who universe (Whoniverse?), so I thought this might be a distinct possibility. The story is done, so updates should be fairly regular unless I have some sort of crazy inspiration fit. Thanks so much for reading. Please take a moment to review; they mean so much to me._


	2. Chapter 2

In the end, passing through to the other universe is as simple as walking through a door. Of course, it's a stupid risk. She could end up anywhere, anytime, anyplace; but she doesn't have anything left to lose at this point unless she can find what she's looking for. Or, rather, _who_ she's looking for.

She doesn't waste any time. She is Rose Tyler, and if there's one thing she knows how to do, it's talk to people. Though it's a devilishly tricky business avoiding mention of herself to or contact with any of the Doctor's previous incarnations or any of her own personal acquaintances, she has her book to guide her, and she makes the connections and contacts that she needs to get the proper information.

And for more than forty years Rose works silently behind the curtains with various organizations, comparing notes and data, checking her book, and staying out of sight from those with whom she works. Much better to avoid unnecessary questions about her lack of again and such.

Most importantly, though, she watches for the Doctor, waiting for the right time to contact him, and finally, through various channels and resources, she determines the correct time. With the use of certain gadgets and the manipulation of a certain someone's psychic paper, she manages to send the Doctor a message about when and where to meet her.

In the summer of 2016, she makes her way to a tiny town in the countryside whose name is only ever remembered by the locals, and there she waits at the town's small, solitary cafe. She isn't even sure what she's going to say to him at this point, as the whole purpose of her crossing universes was to warn him about the cracks in time and space.

Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, he solved that problem himself several years back. All the machines and gadgets in the world couldn't help her get to him in time to be useful. He even has a new companion or two, or so she's heard. And while she's so happy that he hasn't had to spend his time alone, she feels an unpleasant twinge somewhere deep in her chest.

_I came all this way, and he doesn't even need me_, she thinks sadly as she stares into her tea.

The book she and her Doctor compiled together sits huge and silent in front of her on the table; she's consulted it four times in the last half hour alone just to make sure she isn't crossing anything important or interfering with something that had already happened before the Doctor split into two people.

She has very little idea what's happened with him since they last parted; she made a very determined effort to only find out what was absolutely necessary for the mission so she wouldn't be tempted to find him before the time was right. What if…

Rose shakes her head. She's no longer the nervous, self-conscious adolescent who has to hide behind a shield of bravado and cosmetics. She's lived far longer than that young girl, and she has the confidence and experience to prove it.

So why is it that, even though she's sitting down, her knees feel suddenly weak?

"_What?!_"

She turns, smiling. "It's been a while, Doctor."

"It can't be…no. No, that's impossible. I'd have known. Except that you…" He trails off into confused silence, staring hard at Rose. Her smile seems to reassure him a little, but he still seems a bit…twitchy.

"Wearing a bow tie now? Really?"

"What? Bowties are cool." He unconsciously straightens his, almost like a reflex, as he slides into the booth seat across from Rose.

"You're wearing so much less make-up." Okay, so he hasn't gained much tact in this new regeneration. "And you haven't aged a day."

"You have no idea," she replies wryly. She _has_ waited over forty years for this meeting, after all. "You've gotten younger."

Is he blushing? If the situation weren't already so ridiculous, she would probably have to tease him about his resemblance to a cross between a stuffy university professor and an awkward, shy ten-year-old.

"How did you get here?" The same intense stare on a different face is very disconcerting. "You could damage the entire universe by coming through to this world, although if you are the Rose Tyler I remember then something dreadful must be happening, as you wouldn't do something to put existence in peril simply on a whim. So, like I said, how'd you get here?"

"It's really more of a question of _when_, you see. I've been waiting a few years for you, Doctor."

"A few years? But you…" He pauses, then his eyes widen as a realization hits him. He speaks slowly, as if the words are painful for him and he doesn't really want to hear the answer to his question.

"Rose, how long has it been since I last saw you?"

"Do you want it in months, years, or decades?"

His eyes are screwed shut, his jaw tight and angry. She's not sure where the anger is directed.

"Please. Don't play games with me. This is important, and I need to know."

She sees something in his face, definitely not aimed at her, but something that she knows she would never want to cross. She saw it on her own Doctor several times in both regenerations, and she's glad that, as terrifying as it potentially is, some things don't change.

"It's been almost one hundred and four years since you left us on the beach."

He lets out a long, pained breath, and his head drops wearily into his hands. This is still _her_ Doctor somehow, but she can tell he's been through a lot since the last time she saw him.

She understands how he's feeling at her revelation. He's probably alternating between blaming himself though he has no idea what's going on and disbelief that it's really been so long for her. She went through similar reactions with her own Doctor when he realized she was…changed. She reaches out a hand, unsure of her place with this new Doctor, this ancient young man.

In response to her unasked question, he reaches his own hand out, meeting her halfway. Their fingers automatically entwine, as if those small appendages were made to fit together despite the three different shapes and sizes of one half of the pair. She smiles, the tip of her tongue caught between her teeth.

"What?" he asks, sensing her amusement without looking up.

"It's been over a century since I've seen you, and this still feels right. You're _literally_ a different person, and you still feel right. I guess it's just good to know that even when the whole universe changes, some things don't. My hand was made for yours no matter what your face looks like."

He looks up then, and she sees the ghost of a smile. But the look is fleeting; his eyes are so sad, and she wonders if she imagined the brief happiness on his face.

"Over a century for you and over nearly three for me…How time does slip by."

She clasps his hand tighter, and he returns her grip as if it's a lifeline.

"Doctor." She's whispering now, she doesn't know why. She searches his face, his worn and infinitely sad face, then stands and slides onto the seat beside him. Wordlessly she opens her arms to him.

To her surprise, he eyes her suspiciously. "How do I even know it's really you? I've seen some fairly impressive copying methods in the last few years. You could be plastic, for all I know."

"So scan me with your sonic, if y'like." He does, and while she feels a tiny twinge of hurt, she has also grown up a bit in the last century, and she appreciates his caution.

He finally closes the screwdriver and replaces it inside his jacket. His mood switches from somber to agitated in the blink of an eye.

"It _is_ you. But it _can't_ be you. But it is. I don't know how or why, but you're really here. How can you be here? It's impossible! No, hardly possible! But how did you even get back? Hang on!"

Her mouth is open in shock at this barrage of questions and statements, and she tries to answer something—_anything_— from his rapid onslaught. At his last statement, though, she closes her mouth, eyebrows raised questioningly as she waits for him to continue.

After a long minute of silently scrutinizing her face, he speaks.

"I've decided that since you are really here, though we both know you can't be here, and since the universe doesn't seem to be currently imploding or ripping apart from your arrival, not that we'd be able to tell just now…Anyway, sorry! All I care about for the next ninety-two seconds is that for however long I can manage, I have you back, Rose Tyler."

He grabs her then, crushing her into their tightest hug yet. True to his word, for the next minute and a half, absolutely nothing else in the world matters more than this simple contact. As simple as anything with the Doctor ever is, of course.

"I knew you were still in there," she whispers.

_Author's Note: This one needed some major revamping, but I'm hoping it came out better than I think it did. Some questions got answered here, but not all. I'll answer some more questions in the next bit. Let me know if you see some issues or inconsistencies. Please take a moment to leave a review. Thanks!_


	3. Chapter 3

They finally pull apart, and he brushes a strand of hair behind her ear. The action is unconscious for him; he doesn't even realize he's done it, and Rose smiles.

"Alright, back to business now. Why're you here? Apocalypse, disaster to be averted, sneaking away for a holiday alone? What's up, you can tell me. I'm the Doctor, you know."

She almost laughs at his obviously rehearsed line but just manages to pull a straight face. "D'you remember the cracks in time and space?"

"Been there, saved that." She suppresses a smile at his flippant dismissal of the literal destruction and rebuilding of the universe and time itself.

"Yes, Doctor, I know. I had a front row ticket to most of that one. Seventeen or so years ago from when we are right now, yes? Although it was everywhere, every time, all at once wasn't it? It was even in our world, mine and the…other Doctor."

"Well, yes, but that still doesn't answer…oh. Oh, dear. Rose, how long have you been back in this universe?"

The speed at which he picks up such important facts from such tiny mentions of details leaves her breathless. He really does put geniuses to shame most of the time.

"The crack I came through put me back here around 1971."

"But…I fixed the cracks! I rebooted the entire sodding universe! Existence, reality, everything!"

She lets him vent for another minute or so, then steps in. "I know, Doctor. You did. With me on this side. Since I'm from here to begin with, I guess the redistribution of the universe decided I belonged where I was."

"But you came over here and you didn't even know if you could get back to…Oh, Rose, I didn't even think earlier when you said. Your Doctor, your family...you came to warn me, and…" She can see more realization dawning on his face, and there's a sharp tug in her chest at the fresh wash of pain that passes over him. His response is such an uncanny echo of his former self that she flinches involuntarily.

"I'm sorry, Rose. I'm so sorry. You've outlived everyone, haven't you? Even the other me. Do you have anyone left?"

She's had a few years alone on this planet to come to terms with these facts, but they're still not pleasant when stated so bleakly.

"My Doctor, the part-human one, we had nearly sixty years together. We had friends along the way, of course, but in the end it was always him and me, like it should be. And," she adds, threading her fingers through his, "he didn't die alone. I was with him whenever he needed me, through the end. He never had to be alone again."

This new Doctor (he's so very young!) smiles sadly at her. She can see the loss written on his face, but whether it's old or new is impossible to tell.

"I think we've both been alone for a too long, no matter how long it's actually been," she says gently. "What happened, Doctor?"

His gaze slides away from hers, glancing at the door almost as if he expects someone to walk through at any moment. She suspects he looks at a lot of doors that way.

"I had…two friends. I lost them a while ago, though not so long from when we are now. They were married, and the girl…she was the first person I met in this regeneration. Sound familiar?" He smiles sadly at Rose.

"Sometimes I wonder if Time Lords imprint on people. It's like I think they'll just come along at any moment. But they've been dead for so many years." His gaze slides away from her, staring at the door again.

"Why? Why do you all want to stay with me? I only end up ruining you or hurting you or losing you or breaking your silly little solitary human hearts. Why?"

She considers this, taking her time before answering. "A good friend once told me that there are some things worth getting your heart broken for, Doctor. I still love you, no matter how many times I've been lost or heart-broken. I will always find a way back to you because you are worth it, and that's how it's supposed to be."

They sit in silence for several long moments. Then his mood shifts. He eyes the huge volume that lies on the table in front of them. It looks rather worse for the wear, like someone's been recreational with an extremely large dictionary.

"What's that, then? Light reading material?"

"No, actually," she grins, her tongue poking between her teeth. "This is my present for you. The Doctor and I put it together so he'd have a way to remember all his travels and friends, even if his 'stupid ape brain becomes too old to hold things anymore.' It's full of pretty much everything. I helped him piece it together and write all the bits out. Took about twenty or so odd years."

The Doctor lifts the cover and leafs carefully through the pages, his face impassive. "Seems I became a bit of an illustrator in your world."

Rose looks down at his depiction of Susan standing with her hand on the TARDIS door as if she were about to open it and step inside.

"Apparently when you had that stint as John Smith with Martha in 1913, you picked up some fairly impressive drawing skills that carried over. I don't suppose you've tried to do anything with drawing since then."

He's still leafing through pages, his face deliberately blank, and she puts her hand on his. "Doctor, I know this is all very difficult for you, looking back over everything you've lost, but you don't have to look at it now. Save it for when things are better and you want to remember. Also, the bit at the end is really the present I was talking about."

He turns to the spot in the book she indicated, and a smile tugs at the corners of his mouth.

"See," Rose begins, "I figured that since you made the hard call to leave us there instead of taking one or both of us with you, then you'd want us to have a good life. And as angry as my Doctor was with you, he eventually agreed. So we kept a sort of diary of ourselves and all of our impossible things. Color photographs and everything. And…." She gestures dramatically as she pulls a small plastic stick from her pocket and presents it to him.

"A digital copy of the whole thing that you can add your own stories to since we split…y'know, if you want to."

"Oh, Rose Tyler…you always did know the perfect things to do." He sweeps her into another hug, and she happily loses track of time in the embrace.

When he pulls away, his eyes are a little watery, but she refrains from commenting. Then his mood shifts once more.

"How would you like to come see the TARDIS? She's all new now, almost completely rebuilt herself!"

"But she's still—"

"Oh, yeah, still her gorgeous, blue, sexy box-like self!"

"Well, come on then, Doctor! Unless you'd prefer to say…"

"Oh, why not? It's been ages! Rose Tyler, allons-y!"

_Author's Note: Apologies if this one is shorter than you like. It happened when I redistributed the story into a different chapter format. I wanted to make this one longer, but I really couldn't do it without adding unnecessary bulk. Next chapter soon, within a week. Thanks for reading this far. As always, if you have comments, suggestions, or ideas, please feel free to leave something in the little box by the door._


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: This chapter's early up date is dedicated to three awesome folks who motivated me to go ahead and get it done…and they didn't even realize they were doing it. , Pig-Rabbit-Suk, and DarkFallMoonBeloved, this one is for you.

Five minutes later, Rose is stepping through doors she wasn't sure she'd ever see again, absentmindedly caressing the wood of the door as she gazes wide-eyed around the vastly changed console room. As she crosses the threshold, the TARDIS senses her presence and glows a little brighter.

"I've missed you, too, you gorgeous thing."

The Doctor leans back against his console, arms and ankles crossed, a pleased expression on his face as Rose exclaims over all the new aspects.

"Rose?"

She's examining the glass floor from underneath.

"Hmm?"

"When did you know?"

She doesn't want to answer his question; she'd actually dearly love to put it off. This isn't something she likes thinking about. She knows, however, that he deserves an answer.

"We realized something wasn't quite right with me after about ten years or so. We hadn't quite given up on having kids yet—"

"Wait. You and the other Doctor? No kids?" He has a strange, almost regretful look on his face.

"No, we never did. Why?"

"I just assumed…My friends, you see, they…I…well, never mind, different story for a different time. Please continue."

"None of the medical people ever found anything wrong with either of us. They told us over and over we were fine, everything was fine. Then I wake up on the morning of my thirty-fifth birthday, and I realize that I don't look anything like any of the other thirty-five-year-olds that I know."

He's watching her intently, his hands folded in front of him.

"It didn't take us too long to put everything together: Bad Wolf, the Time Vortex…apparently, looking into time changes a girl."

"But I took it back out of you! I saved you! This face, the man who grew old with you—his face is proof of that!"

It's amazing how much he can understand and yet how he can miss such important things sometimes.

"Yes, Doctor, but a mere stupid ape like me can't touch a thing like the Time Vortex, look into the very soul of the TARDIS and walk away the same person completely unchanged. How _is_ Captain Jack Harkness these days, by the way?"

The Doctor drops bonelessly onto one of the seats above Rose's head. She climbs the stairs back up to his level and sits next to him. She takes his hand again, reveling in the familiar alien feel of it, and they sit together as the TARDIS whirs contentedly around them.

The Doctor and Rose Tyler in the TARDIS. Together.

"Have you died?" he asks suddenly. "I mean…do you come back like Jack can?"

"I've done it twice now, and I don't care to do it again. It's not what I'd describe as a fun feeling."

He thinks about this for a while. Then…"Did you miss me?"

She glances at him from the corner of her eye.

"Dangerous way to look at the world, that is. Smart, but terribly perilous; could change your life if you aren't careful," the Doctor remarks.

"If I could have split myself in two, nothing could have stopped me from leaving that beach with you. Every moment of my existence away from you part of me was always confused as to why you weren't there. In the end, though, you were right; he needed me more, and that was very you."

She doesn't ask the question she so very badly wants to. She's afraid of the answer, and he's all she has left in any universe. As always, though, his thoughts are running right along with hers.

"I'm the same person, Rose Tyler, as much as anyone can be the same after so many years apart. I don't have the life you had with your Doctor in that other world, but I have everything we had together before. We could travel a bit. See if you still want to. Y'know, if you like."

"I suppose we could…if you like. Only, I didn't think you'd want to…with me…because we've changed."

"I didn't think _you'd_ want to…same reason. D'you feel like we've had this conversation before? Only, there's a few things we should probably talk about at some point." He looks a little uncomfortable at this admission.

Rose's eyebrows shoot up. The Doctor? Offering information freely? He really must have been through a lot in the last few years.

There's a knock at the TARDIS door.

"What?" The Doctor is on his feet and across the room in a flash, Rose close by his side. He cautiously opens the TARDIS door and sticks his head out. Rose can't quite make out the conversation, but she overhears the words "delivery" and "Doctor."

He takes the proffered pad, signs, and accepts the package with a bewildered but excited expression on his face.

"Ooo, I never get mail! Well, there was the one time…but this one isn't screaming, and it doesn't seem to be psychic. Although that one didn't turn out too horribly in the end. Exciting!"

"Who's it from?"

The Doctor examines the writing on the plain white box, roughly the size and shape of a shoe box. He holds himself back for as long as possible, but after only a cursory scan with his sonic screwdriver ("That's different, too," Rose murmurs), he concludes it is neither alive nor explosive.

"Therefore, Geronimo!"

He rips the box open before she can properly protest and proceeds to dump the contents in front of himself on the floor where he's settled cross-legged. A single postcard falls out, and his shoulders droop with disappointment.

"You shouldn't put things in an exciting box that can be sent by themselves," he huffs.

Rose shrugs. "Maybe it's got a message or something they didn't want anyone to see.

"They still could've used a smaller, less exciting envelope. Not terribly considerate," he declares, climbing to his feet and wandering away. Rose plucks the postcard from the floor.

One side shows lush, tropical plants and a brightly colored animal resembling a cross between a lorikeet and a red panda. The other side simply shows a strange series of numbers.

"Doctor, did you even look at this?"

"No. It's not nearly as exciting as I'd hoped."

"Well, do you know what these numbers mean?"

This manages to perk his interest a little, and he glances over the back of the card. He flips the card to the front, then back to the numbers. His eyes grow wide and he literally jumps, grasping the card with both hands.

"Navigational coordinates! Someone wants us to pay them a visit! Shall we?"

Rose grins. "About time we got this ship moving!"

As the Doctor begins his mad scramble around the console, Rose is almost glowing. As much as she loves this new Doctor, something deep inside her heaves a sigh of relief that some things haven't changed.

With some very familiar (and very much missed) vworping sounds, the TARDIS enters the Time Vortex and predictably throws Rose straight into the Doctor. Strange, she thinks as she gazes breathlessly into his green eyes (_oh-so_ not brown), how she can feel shy and a little awkward with someone she's known nearly all of her life. She glances away, a flush staining her cheeks, but her eyes are inevitable drawn back to his face.

Of course, she hasn't seen _this_ man in nearly a century…And this Doctor has never said aloud that he loves her, so she supposes she can feel as shy as she likes.

Judging from the intensely conflicted expression on his face and the fact that he's still holding tightly to her, he might be having similar thoughts.

Their eyes lock, and if either could speak just now, neither Rose nor the Doctor would be able to deny that whatever is between them (really, it goes beyond love at this point, doesn't it?) is definitely still there.

Her tongue darts out to moisten her suddenly parched lips as the Doctor definitely begins to lean in. She considers hesitating, but in the end they both reach the simultaneous conclusion that nothing good in their combined history has ever resulted from hesitation.

The Doctor's lips brush gently against Rose's, and she shivers in his arms. It's been over forty years since anyone has kissed her.

Since she met the Doctor so many years ago, Rose has kissed only six men. Oddly enough, four of them have technically been the same person, and while two of those had nearly identical kissing styles (_shocking_), she can honestly say this third (fourth? eleventh?) self of his is definitely different and _definitely_ right on par with his predecessors.

They pull apart after what could be forever or no time at all; with the Doctor, she never knows for sure.

"So." He grins, cheeks turning marvelously pink. "That was…"

"Pleasantly unexpected and ridiculously overdue," she finishes, thinking her face isn't large enough to contain her smile. The TARDIS lands with another jolting thump, and the Doctor helps Rose right herself. She's still a little lost in sensation, but he is off and running as he scans the monitor for information.

"Huh…It's an unnamed planet, most of its surface largely similar to Earth's rainforests. Currently uninhabited, but that'll change in a couple of centuries. Oh, and it'll get a name then, as well. That's always good. Well, not always, but usually."

"Yes, but Doctor," Rose brings him back around to the present, "why are we here? Who sent the postcard?"

"Let's find out!" He bounds across the glass floor and flings open both doors in his excitement. "Oh, Rose! Come and look! It's amazing! Absolutely amazing!"

_Author's Note: Apparently, when I said a week or so, I meant an hour or so…Don't forget to thank the three people mentioned up top. As per usual, if you've made it this far, you're nifty. If you take the time to leave a little something in the boxy below, you may just earn awesome status. Keep Calm and Don't Blink, Whovians._


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's Note: Thanks so much to everyone who's read, reviewed, followed, and favorited. Note at the bottom about updates. Not a bad thing. Thanks!_

She joins him at the open doors, gazing at their surroundings. Huge, lush tropical plants in every color imaginable surround them on all sides, though they seem to have landed in something of a natural clearing. Birds singing so many different songs, animals calling: a very peaceful, beautiful place. Of course, since it's Rose and the Doctor visiting a lovely new place, something isn't quite right.

"Doctor, you said this planet was uninhabited."

"Well, yes, in the traditional sense of the word meaning no sentient, advanced life forms currently claim or exploit it. Obviously there are all sorts of plants and animals, but otherwise no higher sorts of life forms anywhere nearby."

"How'd that cable get up there, then?" She gestures upwards and his eyes follow.

Strung high above them is a twisted metal cable running in a straight line as far as they can see in either direction through the dense foliage just under the upper canopy. And now that they aren't speaking, they can hear a vague whooshing, zipping sort of noise approaching them rather rapidly.

"I think it's a sort of zip line," Rose muses.

"But that's not right," the Doctor mutters. "No one uses this planet for anything for another two centuries at least, not even recreationally. Oh," he adds, "and I think we're about the meet whatever called us here."

"Called you here," Rose reminds him. "Not much knows about me these days. Someone seems to have done something to the collective memories of several species, and now even the Daleks don't remember who destroyed their emperor."

He grins, a strange mixture of sheepishness and pride, just as a figure bursts through the trees overhead. Whoever it is speeds by too quickly to make out much more than a humanoid shape and a wild blur of hair. As it passes, the person shouts something that Rose can only just make out as it fades into the distance.

"Geronimo!"

Perplexed, she turns to the Doctor. Isn't that what he said right before he ripped into the package on the TARDIS? To her surprise, though, he isn't confused at all; on the contrary, he suddenly seems agitated, nervous even.

"Oh, dear."

"What's wrong? D'you who that was? Are they coming back?"

"Well, Rose, actually there's…ah…you see, I've had a few adventures since the last time I saw you, and…well, remember I said we had a few things to talk about? This…ah, this is one of those things. Well, she's a person, actually, not a thing, but there you are. And I was rather hoping to find the time to mention her before she showed up again, as she is wont to do."

Definitely nervous, then.

"What person, exactly, Doctor, and why are you fidgeting all of a sudden?"

"I never fidget," he replies indignantly. "Look, this isn't how I'd hoped to broach this particular subject."

Crunching footsteps approach from the direction the woman disappeared, and she steps confidently out of the dense jungle and into their clearing. She is sophisticated and mature: that's Rose's first impression of her. That, and intelligent. This woman radiates everything that the word intelligence encompasses.

Rose's second impression is how utterly fantastic and wild her hair is.

"Hello, Sweetie. I'm sorry, if I'd known you had company I'd never have interrupted." She strides straight up to the Doctor and kisses him full on the lips. Even through her shock Rose notes that he doesn't exactly pull away in disgust.

"River," he begins anxiously, twisting his hands, "this is Rose Tyler. We…ah…she…well, she found me, you see."

The woman—River—turns to look at Rose, her eyes wide with something akin to reverence.

"_The_ Rose Tyler? Oh, my dear, this is an absolute honor. I didn't know if I'd ever get the chance to actually meet you without thoroughly damaging our timelines. This is absolutely thrilling! I've heard so much about you!"

Rose smiles, feeling at a bit of a disadvantage; obviously River knows all about her, though River's name is irritatingly familiar to her. But, still…why is the Doctor so very nervous?

"And Rose, this is Professor…wait, is it Professor yet or still just Doctor?"

"Professor, Sweetie; we'll compare journals in a bit."

"Rose, this is River Song, Professor of Archeology and random other bits of stuff."

Rose is stunned for a moment, absolutely frozen still. _The_ River Song? The one who died in the library with the Doctor before Rose had even found her way back to him the second time?

She can practically hear her Doctor's voice in her head whispering, "Timey Wimey." Realizing she is staring open-mouthed, she recovers as quickly as she can and offers her hand. River shakes it warmly, still smiling, so maybe she didn't notice Rose's reaction. There's definitely an odd tension in the air between the three of them, and Rose looks to the Doctor for an explanation. What in the world is going on here?

River glances between the two of them, her smile fading just a bit. "Oh, Doctor, you didn't tell her. How could you not tell her?"

"Tell me what?"

"Oh, fine, River! I was going to, but your silly card came too quickly for me to have a proper chance. Which, by the way, that was _not_ cool to send one tiny little postcard in such an interesting box. You could have fit so many other things in there, but no, just one flimsy little card not even—"

"Doctor!"

"Yes, sorry, hang on." He gathers himself, tugging down the bottom of his jacket and straightening his bow tie. He is clearly steeling himself for something unpleasant, and Rose feels a thrill of trepidation run down her spine. How bad is this going to be?

"Rose, I'm not sure how to do this gently, or really even how to explain all the details, but…ah…River, well…she and I are…we've…it has to do with my friends I told you about earlier, you see, and some time back there were some troubling things to do with a fixed point in time. I died, you see, or at least I was supposed to, and I suppose I did, in a manner of speaking."

Rose's eyes are wide with shock as she takes this in. "If you died, why didn't you regenerate?" Or did you? Is this the new, new, new you?"

He laughs, relieved that she's found a bit of humor in the tense situation. "No, I didn't die properly, not exactly, so I didn't need to regenerate. It all had to do with these people in a space ship of sorts that could shrink things and make themselves look—"

"Doctor," River interrupts smoothly, "I do believe you are making a mess of your explanation. You can just tell the main bit and fill in the details as necessary, you know."

"Alright, fine. You can fly the TARDIS, you can cloak her, you can fix the screens, so you show me how to do this better, as well." There's the ten-year-old in full pouting form.

"Alright, then." River turns to Rose, sympathy and kindness written all over her face. "What he's fumblingly trying to tell you, Rose, is that I'm his wife."

And with the rather monumental bit of information laid at her feet, Rose can only think to say, "Oh, dear," before her knees give way and she finds herself sitting suddenly on the ground, wondering how she got there.

_Author's Note: I have a weird schedule coming up with the holiday on Thursday, then I'll be leaving town for a day next Saturday followed by a week out of town to go work at the NEW ORLEANS COMIC CON where I finally get to meet Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus, and David Della Rocco from Boondock Saints! Oh, and did I mention I get to sell the coolest corsets and things for an awesome lady who has a freakin' TARDIS for a dressing room?! Yeah, so the point of all that is that I'm going to try to get you guys one or two more updates within the next few days to keep you happy until life returns to semi-normal. Thanks for hanging in there, and thank you SO much to everyone who has read, reviewed, followed, and favorited. You are all seriously awesome. As per usual, if you've made it this far, thanks a bunch, and please leave something lovely in the little box by the door on the way out._


	6. Chapter 6

"I knew it." Rose speaks quietly, but there's no mistaking her words. "I came back to this world to warn you, to help you, and I should have known when you fixed the cracks without me. I should have known then you didn't need me."

Her face drops into her hands for a moment, only the briefest of moments, and then she's back on her feet. Deep breath. She dusts herself off, scraping together as much dignity as she can muster.

"Doctor, Professor Song, if you'll excuse me, I've just had a bit of a shock. I'm going to take a few minutes for myself on the TARDIS. I'll be fine," she adds when the Doctor looks as if he'll protest.

Fortunately, River seems to understand and takes the Doctor's elbow. "Come on, Sweetie, I need to explain why I called you here in the first place."

Rose finds herself blessedly alone in the console room or as close to alone as she can get on the TARDIS. Her mind is reeling from the new information, and she feels aimless for the first time…well, for the first time since that daft alien in the leather jacket grabbed her hand and said, "Run!"

She's had a goal, a reason for just about everything in her life since that moment until just now. The majority of her existence has centered, orbited, gravitated around this one man for nearly her entire life, and now he doesn't need her.

Rose Tyler is suddenly not sure who she is anymore. She wishes very hard for a distraction from her thoughts, and as fortune would have it, a rather nice one is provided in the form of the TARDIS herself.

The lights dim, brighten, and return to normal as the view screen flashes to life. Curious, Rose pulls the monitor around for a better look. Her eyes widen as she takes in the picture before her.

It's nighttime and winter, easy enough to tell from all the snow on the ground. The street is her street; at least, it's the street where she and her mum lived at Powell Estates. The buildings are strung with decorations, and she can hear cheerful shouting and music in the background.

It's obviously New Year's Eve, and Rose has a sneaking suspicion she knows which one. Sure enough, there are two people a little ways down the block standing just far enough away that she can't quite make out their conversation. She remembers it, though, and she wonders why after so many years she can remember such a seemingly inconsequential conversation so very well. She never even saw the man's face, and she still can't now. Her younger self is partially in front of him, and he's almost entirely in the shadows. Only his feet are visible.

Feet that are clad in suspiciously familiar, scruffy trainers topped by brown, pin-striped suit pants and brushed by the very ends of a long, tan coat.

She should've known.

But the TARDIS has more to show her. The younger Rose grins, replies to the first and last thing this Doctor ever said to her, and scampers off to her apartment. As he staggers and nearly collapses, she remembers that was something wrong with the man she spoke to that night. She'd thought he was drunk, but now that she understands with whom she was speaking, she knows that's impossible.

He struggles to take every step and is obviously in pain. Her heart wrenches as her fingers hit the screen in a futile attempt to reach out to him. This is long past for the Doctor, she realizes; these are his last moments in the face she lived a lifetime with, the face that let her go not because he wanted to but because it was the right thing to do, and he loved her enough to do it.

She shakes herself from these thoughts as the view changes and the Doctor on the screen lets himself into the TARDIS. Despite his deteriorated condition, his aim is not diminished, and his tan coat lands perfectly in its usual coral arch.

He's quiet, walking slowly around the console one last time, and Rose is horrified to realize that's he's spending his last moments alone, just as she always feared he would. He throws one last switch and steps away from the console. His hands are glowing, and Rose has a fleeting recollection of another regeneration she witnessed so long ago.

She's already crying, tears streaming silently down her cheeks, and just when she thinks she can't take anymore, he speaks his last words.

"I don't want to go."

Then the energy erupts from the Doctor, the TARDIS burns, and Rose weeps for the first time in many, many years.

Time passes. Rose has a nice, long cry then forces herself to straighten up and deal with the here and now. She's had her pity moment, now to handle this situation. But first—

"Thank you for showing me that," she says quietly; she knows the TARDIS can hear her. "I…the Doctor…my Doctor and I, we felt it in the other universe when you burned and rebuilt yourself. Even over all that distance our connections were still there. And then a few years ago, when you exploded I felt that, too. One of the longest mornings of my life, that, until they remembered you back into existence."

"I did miss you, y'know. Not just the travel stuff, but the other bits as well. Anywhere with my Doctor was home, but it just wasn't as 'home' as traveling with you."

The TARDIS glows peacefully, and Rose settles into the jump seat next to the console. "You always were a good listener, much better than him. He tried, but he could never hold still long enough to do it properly, could he?"

She's quiet for a time, but questions rise up in her mind, and since the TARDIS is listening she figures she might as well ask.

"Did my room get destroyed in the crash or the explosion? I know it's silly to wonder; only I was curious. I suppose he left it as it was before all that; he's not one to tidy up or throw things out."

She's just considering exploring, both to distract herself once more and to find out just how much has changed on board when she hears an unmistakable creak that she could identify in her sleep. The door swings open, and the Doctor slips inside. Their eyes lock, and he offers her a nervous smile.

"Hello. I hope I've given you enough time to yourself, only I wondered whether I could come talk to you now."

_Author's Note: Never fear, I'm about to pop off and post the next chapter within the next few minutes. I got done early, so I figured I'd go ahead and post. As per usual, if you've made it this far, thanks so much for reading. Please take the time to leave a little something in the box by the door on your way out._


	7. Chapter 7

"Of course, River thinks I'm going to muck it up spectacularly, so she said to tell you that she's going to come and patch up whatever I've done when you and I have finished, so there you are."

Rose can't help the giggle that escapes her at his nervous pronouncement, and he grins in obvious relief.

"Ph, lovely, you aren't angry with me. I was a bit afraid, let me tell you; I remember your temper, and your mum's temper, and I thought there was a very good chance you might be furious, and I really wouldn't blame you, only I'm so glad you aren't…furious, I mean."

"To be honest, furious never really crossed my mind," Rose admits. She moves to the side and pats the empty seat next to her. If possible, the Doctor's grin widens even more as he gracefully flops down next to her.

"Shocked, definitely, but not angry. I know you meant to tell me; you said so yourself before River's package arrived. We just didn't have the best timing is all. The thing is, though, I feel a little stupid as well."

"What?! Why? Never! You are one of the absolute cleverest people I know, and I used to brag on your to nearly anyone I could!"

Her cheeks heat at his comment, and Rose once again wonders how this man can reduce her to a giggling teenager again with the well-placed application of a few spur-of-the-moment words.

"I really should have known what River was going to say as soon as you introduced her. My Doctor, he told me all about the library while we were putting the book together, and he told me what she whispered to you then. And," she adds, glancing over at him to gauge his reaction, "he told me there's only one time you'd ever be able to tell anyone your true name. So…It's only logical, and I should have realized."

The Doctor is quiet, staring at the floor, his smile very much faded now. She can just make out the distant look he tends to get in every face she's known him in that says he's lost in a rather painful memory or two.

"Rose…do you know…did you and your Doctor ever…"

"No," she says softly, trying very hard to become lost in her own memories. "We never did, and I don't honestly regret it. I understand that it's a very sacred thing to tell someone your true name, and my Doctor wasn't quite as…resilient as you. I didn't want to do anything that would make him more vulnerable than he already was, being half-human and all."

The Doctor nods, though he seems a tad disappointed.

"How hard is it for you?" Rose asks suddenly. "Not telling her, I mean. Having to keep that secret from River? I can see you both care a great deal for each other, love each other even, and I understand why you can't tell her. I'm so sorry that you have to lie to her every time you see her."

It's difficult for Rose to get the words out, but she sincerely means every single one of them. Though she is deep in her core a jealous person, her own lifetime spent with her Doctor showed her that sometimes making sure someone else is happy is much more important than being the star of that person's attention.

"I'll be honest; it's definitely on the top list for hardest things I've ever had to do. Destroy my home and everyone and everything I've known, let you go to…well, another me, and lie to my wife every time I see her about the fact that not only do I know exactly when she dies but that I was sodding well there when it happened and couldn't do a thing to stop it."

"You did what you could to save her, though. And she didn't completely die, not exactly," Rose says, doing her best to comfort him in a nearly impossible situation.

"Not the same," he says quietly, eyes still on the floor. "Can we talk about something else, please?"

Thought they aren't looking at each other and neither says a word, their hands reach out and lock together at the same time.

"Well, I suppose we could talk about what the TARDIS did before you came back in."

The Doctor glances at her, eyebrows raised. "She didn't take human form again, did she?"

"What?" Rose is thoroughly confused. "No, not even remotely. Has she done that before?"

"Yes, but there were some very special circumstances. What happened?"

Rose purses her lips, regarding him for a moment before speaking again. "She showed me midnight on January first of 2005. I…I had no idea. You came back just to see me one more time." She stops then, her throat making speech a little difficult.

"It was my last round of farewells to my friends of that life, and you will always be the first and last person I think of, the first and last thought that crosses my mind." Both of them are quiet for several minutes, lost in old memories. It's Rose that breaks the silence at last.

"Since I've met you, Doctor, my entire life has shaped itself around you. Everything in my life is a result of either looking for you or being with you, and I have to say I definitely prefer the latter option. But my whole reason for finding you this time…well, you didn't even need me to warn you, much less actually help you, did you? And now I find out you're married. I can't think what to make of all this."

The Doctor silently examines their linked hands while Rose speaks, studying her hand as if he wants to memorize it.

"Doctor, aside from the obvious wanting to be with you for the rest of time and such, all I've ever wanted was to erase that loneliness you carry around with you everywhere. The whole situation with Madame Pompadour was one thing, and I'll freely admit now that I was jealous to the point of turning chartreuse. But I can't break up a marriage, and I won't come between you and River. If she's what makes you happy, if she is the one you're supposed to be with, then I will force myself to be happy for you and to move on."

Getting that last bit to actually come out of her mouth is the hardest thing Rose thinks she's ever done, but she knows that deep down inside, in a place she'll only admit to herself exists, it's all very much true. If the Doctor is happy, then that's that, and she refuses to stand in his way.

She studiously ignores the tiny voice in the back of her mind that makes a point to remind her of just how overjoyed this Doctor was when he realized she was real and she was really here.

"What if I said that things between River and me aren't quite as conventional as all that?"

The corner of Rose's mouth quirks. "I'd have to admit that I'm not terribly surprised, but I don't see how that changes anything."

He frowns, leaning forward and clasping her hand between both of his. "We don't ever get to stay together, River and I. Everything happens out of order; we almost never meet up properly. We even got married in a reality that no longer exists and shouldn't have existed in the first place, although I really don't recommend actually thinking about it for too long at a time. Tends to cause a rather nasty headache after a while. I'll give you the whole story later."

Rose gazes at him, a restrained and amused expression pasted on her face. The Doctor glances at her.

"I've gone and done exactly what River said I would, haven't I?"

"Close enough, really."

He stands, pacing away from her then turning so suddenly she wonders how he doesn't fall over. "Rose Tyler, don't you dare tell her she was right. She's right often enough without my help, and I'll never hear the end of it." He groans, scrubbing his hands over his face before glancing back at Rose and cracking a small grin.

"Alright, I'll go get her, but you've got to understand one thing today, you've got to take one thing from everything that River and I tell you, even if you understand nothing else." He strides forward until he's standing right in front of Rose and abruptly pulls her to her feet. Never breaking eye contact, he gently places both his hands on either side of her face and looks right into her eyes.

"From the moment I took your hand and we ran together for that first time, my life has been better—No. That's not right, is it? _I_ have been better than any other time in my existence. You were the last face I saw in one life and the first I saw in my next. With my dying breath, I sought you out to talk to you one last time, timelines and fixed points be damned. The very last thoughts and words of that life were of you."

He takes a slow, steadying breath and continues. "You make me better, you make everything better, and I have absolutely _no_ intentions of losing you a third time. Rose Tyler, if you never understand a single thing I tell you again, you must understand that."

With his words still hanging in the air around them, the Doctor places a warm and lingering kiss on Rose's forehead then turns and steps outside, swinging the door shut behind him.

For the second time that day, Rose is left alone on the TARDIS with her thoughts.

_Author's Note: And I'm afraid now that you've gobbled this up that you won't get any more until probably around December 6__th__ (ish) or so. I'll be out of commission until Sunday, and I'll be out of town until Dec 2__nd__. A _**HUGE**_ thank you to everyone who's read, reviewed, favorited, and followed. You are all absolutely awesome, and I truly appreciate all your encouragement. See you soon._ _As per usual, if you've made it this far, thanks so much for reading. Please take the time to leave a little something in the box by the door on your way out._


	8. Chapter 8

_Brief Author's Note: Warning – this chapter is comprised of a LOT of talking._

"How badly did he do?" River asks. She's taken the Doctor's vacated seat next to Rose, and they've turned in toward each other.

"He was definitely no Dickens or Churchill. He was probably a three or a four, right up until the end there. To be honest, though, he could've done a lot worse."

River nods, smiling. She's at ease on the TARDIS, more so than Rose has ever seen anyone, save the Doctor.

"He said it's his fault you even exist. What did he mean by that? I mean, you seem human and all…I'm just really not sure how to take that."

"Well, I could tell you, but that would be extremely long-winded, a bit dull on occasion, and more than a little confusing. Or…" River stands and moves over to the console, tapping in a long string of commands. She pulls the view screen around so Rose can see.

"I can show you the abbreviated version with a little commentary from me."

An hour later, Rose is more confused than she thought possible, despite the fact that she honestly understands everything River has explained. River leans casually against the console, arms and ankles crossed in an unknowing echo of the Doctor's earlier position. Her smiling eyes follow Rose as she paces back and forth in an effort to absorb everything she's just learned.

"So Amy and Rory…"

"Yep."

"And then you…"

"Uh-huh."

"So then the Doctor…"

"That's right."

"And now you're…"

"Exactly."

"Blimey, no wonder he couldn't explain it properly. He would've taken ages." Rose drops back into the jump seat facing River. "How d'you keep it all straight even with those diaries of yours? Surely you let things slip even when you don't mean to."

River nods, her smile fading. "Though he can be a genius when it comes to solving problems, he's about as skilled as a stick of firewood when it comes to emotional things; he has no idea how to handle himself. I've managed to pick up a lot from his body language and the way he speaks to me." She takes in a deep breath slowly as if bracing herself.

"I know he's seen something horrible happen to me, perhaps even seen me die." Rose moves to protest, but River cuts her off. "You don't have to deny it, I already guessed. After the way he treated me at the wreck of the Byzantium, it wasn't terribly hard to guess. Even if I hadn't, your earlier reaction would have been enough. But it's all right. This is the way he and I have to live, with everything out of order and the wrong way 'round."

She lets her arms drop, closing the distance between them and sitting next to Rose. River takes the other woman's hand and looks her straight in the eyes.

"That's why he needs you, and that's why you can't leave. It's very easy to be jealous of the Doctor, but if I'm hardly ever around I can't exactly enforce my claim over him, can I? The Doctor and I, we're destined to meet over and over. We can't really help it, the two of us: I was practically made for him, but destiny decreed the situation be more complicated than that. Some days we're mortal enemies, though those days have hopefully passed for good. He and I have more time together yet, but I know it's getting ever so much shorter. I would horde all the days left with him if I could, but it's just not meant to be anymore."

"But there are all those things left he hasn't done with you yet!" Rose thought she was confused before, but at least what River was saying then made sense. This is madness: how could anyone give the Doctor up? "You said you never thought you'd get to meet me. If you haven't seen me in the Doctor's future, then I'm probably not supposed to be here."

River smiles sadly at Rose, shaking her head slightly. "If there's one thing I've learned in my time with the Doctor, it's that time can be rewritten. Right now, you are not a fixed point in any sense of the concept. Here and now is not a fixed point, either, and there are a hell of a lot of timelines crossing that weren't here before. You, Rose Tyler, are not meant to be here, yet here you are. And some things have already changed because of that. I should never have met you, but here we are. The Doctor and I weren't meant to be on this world today, but here we are, and all because of you."

"Hang on a sec," Rose interrupts. "You called him here. I just tagged along for the ride. How could you be meant to be elsewhere if you chose this place?"

"I was going to ask the Doctor to meet me somewhere else today, somewhere a bit more populated for a rather mundane site-seeing expedition. We were really meant to go visit a friend in 19th century Shanghai, but then I saw all those timelines and possibilities converging on our meeting."

"You saw—"

River stands, cutting off Rose and returning to her earlier position against the console. She seems restless, as if she can't sit still, and Rose is reminded suddenly and strongly of the Doctor she spent her life with in another world.

"Remember, I've still got a bit of Time Lord DNA. Just because I used up all my regenerations to save him doesn't mean I gave up everything. I can see some things as the Doctor does, with all the different possibilities floating around each non-fixed point. But," she adds, "what I couldn't see today was what had made the difference and caused all those possibilities. I changed where I was going to meet him and chose somewhere a bit safer."

"Lowest possible impact," Rose murmurs. River nods.

"The outcome of all those lines crossing has the potential to almost literally affect everything in the universe, and now I can see why. You're the only one who can save the Doctor from himself, Rose."

"Come again?"

River eyes Rose speculatively before turning to the console. She types in another command and tilts her head to the view screen.

The picture there almost seems to be a freeze frame of the Doctor sitting in the very jump seat that Rose is currently occupying. The only indication that time is passing is the faint rising and falling of the Doctor's back as he breathes.

Rose notices that this time, unlike the other viewings, River has programmed a small timer into the corner of the screen. They watch the seconds tick by as the Doctor sits hunched over, brow furrowed and mouth hidden by his folded hands.

"This is the Doctor the first day I had to leave him after we lost my parents. Now let me fast forward." She turns a nearby dial, and the numbers begin to click past faster and faster until the seconds and minutes are a blur. Hors pass, then days, and still the Doctor doesn't move. River freezes the screen on four days and seven hours. Except for the faint growth of facial hair, the Doctor remains completely unchanged.

"The first time he left the TARDIS in over two months was today when you called him, Rose. He doesn't travel, he doesn't help anyone anymore, and the universe doesn't seem to be able to cope with the loss of him. I have been trying for weeks to coax him back to life, and all you have to do, Rose Tyler, is show up."

_Author's Note: I had a few bits of time before I went to work today, so I typed up what I had. Low and behold, it was enough for a chapter! Since I felt extra guilty about making everyone wait until I got back for another hit, I figured I might as well go ahead and post this one. Hope it's not too slow, although to be honest there hasn't been a lot of action in this story, and there probably won't be. Thanks so much to all you wonderful people who have favorited, followed, and reviewed. This one's for you guys. As per usual, if you've made it this far, thanks so much for reading. Please take some time to leave a little something in the box on your way out._


	9. Chapter 9

Before River has finished speaking Rose is already standing next to her, staring at the defeated figure on the screen. She brushes her fingertips lightly over the image, and her heart aches as a realization dawns on her.

"He's still like this on the inside, isn't he? It's all a show for me."

River nods, her eyes suspiciously bright as they flick away from the screen. "These are the first real signs of life he's shown besides anger and sheer petulance since New York. Amy was…very important to him."

"First face sort of thing," Rose murmurs, studying the Doctor's brooding image. Then she turns back to River. "But it's been hundreds of years for him since we've been together, over a century for me. We're both different, and he didn't need me. I don't see how—"

"He's more alone now than he's been in such a long a time," River states, turning her intense gaze back to Rose. "And he is more acutely aware than ever that while I will do nearly anything for him, I can't stay with him. I thought…" She stumbles in her speech as if the words have caught on something before she can say them. She clears her throat after a moment, brushes something from her cheek, and continues.

"I hoped for a moment when I saw him that he'd managed to pull himself out and that's what all the converging timelines meant. But the moment I saw you and understood who you were, I knew the truth."

River stops again and turns away from Rose, unable to continue. Rose is momentarily taken aback by this show of vulnerability. River is one of the most self-assured people she's ever met, so Rose isn't sure at first how to take this unexpected breakdown. Then she shakes some sense back into herself; she obviously isn't the only one hurting here, and River deserves some compassion.

She takes River by the elbow and leads her back over to the seat. She embraces the other woman, holding River silently as she cries.

"I don't know what's come over me to behave like this. That bloody stupid man is the only person in the universe who can affect me like this, and I swear I think I hate him sometimes. He'll be the death of me." She sniffles, and Rose digs in her pocket for a tissue, handing it to River as she tries not to think of the irony of that statement.

"Rose, this Doctor is the same man you saved from himself all those years ago, and now he needs you again. His face has changed, but he will always need you, now more than ever. I hoped for one moment when I saw him today that I had somehow been the one who pulled him out of that horrible place inside himself, but I realized the only person in the universe, in all of space and time who can save the Doctor from himself is you."

Rose is stunned, though part of her wonders if she really should be. They sit in a tense silence for several long moments, each woman lost in their own thoughts. The TARDIS hums and glows placidly in the background.

"But what about you?" Rose asks suddenly. "I mean, you're his wife. Can you really just give him up like that?"

"I'm his wife in a parallel universe that never happened and shouldn't have existed in the first place," River replies with a wry smile. "And do you know what the Doctor said to me just before our 'union'? 'I don't want to marry you.' He knows me, he cares for me very much, but deep inside a little part of him feels as if I've been thrust upon him against his will, and he will never forget that."

"Rose," she continues, "I called the Doctor here for a reason today, not the original reason I'd intended, but an important one all the same. He's got to come out of this state and the sooner the better. All the possible timelines I've seen today literally depend on whether you continue with him from this point forward or not. As campy and cliché as it sounds, the universe is literally depending on the two of you, and I just can't stand in the way of that."

There doesn't seem much left to say after the enormity of River's statement. Rose feels suddenly as if the weight of the universe is on her shoulders, a familiar weight that makes her feel simultaneously panicked and right at home. She stands, River mirroring her, and the two women make their way to the TARDIS doors.

They each pull a door open to be greeted by the sight of the Doctor covered in ten or fifteen small furry creatures each the size of a pygmy marmoset. If pygmy marmosets came in a variety of rainbow colors and were rather poofier than Rose remembers, that is. Each of the little animals is chittering excitedly, making their own individual combinations of clicks and trills, while the Doctor looks as if he's keeping up with several conversations simultaneously.

As Rose and River step out of the TARDIS, several bright sets up of eyes turn towards them, and the cacophony of conversations fades away. Rose notes the intensity of the smile that lights the Doctor's features as his eyes land on her, and she feels the corners of her own mouth immediately turn up in response.

"You look cuddly and ridiculous," she says to the Doctor, smiling and reaching a hand out to one of the little creatures. It makes a rather excited purling noise and hops the short distance from the Doctor's shoulder to Rose's arm. The small blue ball of fluff hums contentedly as Rose strokes its tiny head, its weight barely registering on her arm.

"What's going on?"

"Actually," the Doctor replies, "I was just coming to get you two. It seems, River, that you got us here in the nick of time after all, and these lovely creatures have just given me some rather interesting news."

_Author's Note: It's short, but here it is and a day early at that. Apologies and thanks to all you wonderful people who've patiently awaited the return. My trip was absolutely awesome and could not have possibly gone any better. I got to hug all three Boondock Saints guys, got my picture with each, fist bumped the fabulously friendly John de Lancie (Q from Star Trek TNG), shook hands with the amazingly awesome Eliza Dushku, and was advertisements by Kevin Sorbo. Oh, and did I mention I got to spend most of my vacation putting corsets on people? I am exhausted and so pleased. I'm hoping to have the next chapter up within a week or so. Thanks so much to everyone for all the reads, reviews, and follows. As always, if you've made it this far, please take the time to leave a little something in the box on your way out._


	10. Chapter 10

"Did they confirm what I told you earlier?" River asks as the green whats-it leaps onto her outstretched arm. She pulls it close to her chest, gently scratching behind tiny ears as all eyes turn back to the Doctor.

"That and more. In fact, this rather dashing fellow here just told me the main site is only a few minutes to the north as the crow flies." The brilliantly red whats-it lets out an emphatic trill and settles down authoritatively on top of the Doctor's head, curling its long tail in a loose spiral on his shoulder.

"What are these things, exactly, aside from your scouting crew?" Rose asks the blue whats-it nibbles at the ends of her fingers. She's briefly reminded of her favorite creature from the Harry Potter book series. "Would you mind terribly if I called you Arnold?" she murmurs, and the whats-it purls in response.

"She says she wouldn't, and it's a lovely name," the Doctor answers. "And I don't actually know what they are, as I've never been here before, and neither has anyone else for that matter."

"Well," says River, "whatever they are, they certainly seem to like you." As about ten of the creatures are still contentedly chittering away while sitting or hanging in various spots all over the Doctor, Rose has to agree.

"Everyone likes me! Well, except for those things that don't of course, but who likes them anyway, especially when we've got our new whats-it friends here."

Something the Doctor said clicks in Rose's memory suddenly. "Hang on," she interrupts, transferring her whats-it to her shoulder so as to free up her hands. "What site? Doctor, you said no one uses this planet for anything for at least two centuries from now; you said no one's even been here before. What kind of site could be here if that's the case? Is this what you and River were talking about earlier, because I'm a bit lost?"

"River, can you take this one? I want to do a quick scan from the TARDIS, and I need to grab a few things before we set off."

He flashes a quick smile at Rose, his eyes bright with sudden excitement as he dashes off without waiting for an answer. Most of the whats-its jump off the Doctor, startled by his sudden departure, but the red one chitters excitedly and clings tightly to the Doctor's hair.

Rose can just make out his reply of, "I know you didn't say crow, but there's not a word for what you described, Ferdinand, and I just don't think they would've understood!" before he and the tiny creature disappear inside and the TARDIS door swings shut.

Rose turns to River. "Ferdinand?"

"I've learned there are some things you just don't question with that man if you want to keep some portion of your sanity." River's long-suffering tone makes Rose break out in a tiny burst of giggles before she remembers their current conundrum.

"So what site is he talking about? Is this why we're here?"

River eyes Rose speculatively for a moment before answering, "I would call it a coincidence if it weren't for the fact that the Doctor is involved. When I saw all the crossing timelines and realized I needed to relocate our meeting today, I decided on this planet due to its distinct lack of a critical population of any sort."

River reaches toward the nearest tree, allowing her whats-it to scamper up and join the others. Seeing its comrades abandon ship, Rose's whats-it gives her hand a farewell nuzzle and takes off after the group.

"To be on the safe side, I did some surface scans before the Doctor arrived in case anything might be amiss. Turns out I was right."

River pulls out a device that looks like nothing so much as a rather complicated, handheld game system. She taps in a combination of keys then hands the device to Rose so she can read the information on the display.

A map glows with several colored symbols all set against a faint green grid. River points to a tiny blue dot near the southeast corner of the map.

"That's the TARDIS there, along with our current position on the map. This black area is the clearing, and the faint turquoise line snaking around is a creek, easy to cross and thankfully _not_ a river. I don't fancy having a swim today."

She moves her finger, pointing out several red, orange, and yellow dots on the screen. "And these are all the sites I've found, facilities of some sort or housing barracks, but I can't be sure."

"So, what you're saying is that you originally picked this planet because it was uninhabited, but once you realized it wasn't you thought it would still be a good idea? Why?" River gives her an enigmatic smile, waiting silently and patiently. And then it clicks.

"You figured the excitement of an investigation might snap him out of his depression, didn't you?"

"Right in one," River smiles and taps a red dot particularly close to the blue square on the map. "And this is the main site the Doctor's new friend told him about. Should be a short walk in that direction past the creek." She points northward then glances back at Rose who is suppressing a smile. "What is it?"

"Well," Rose explains, the grin on her face widening as memories flash through her mind, "I'm having a rather strange sense of déjà vu, you see."

"How do you mean?" River asks as Rose hands the device back. She shuts it off and pockets it before leaning back against the tree, eyes on Rose.

"A couple of regenerations back, the Doctor kept trying to take me to see what he called 'the fourth great and bountiful human empire,' only every time he did, things were never what he said they'd be: aliens taking over Earth was usually the problem, just various degrees of bad really. The second time actually ended up nearly getting both of us and our other friend killed. Actually did kill our other friend for a little while, and the Doctor…Well, you know how he does." A faint memory, no more than a flash of golden light and a glimpse of a kiss, passes through Rose's mind, but she pushes it aside.

"It's just funny, don't you think? Now we're on a planet that's supposed to be completely free of sentient life, as the Doctor put it, and there are numerous sites that shouldn't exist."

A tiny smile is pulling at the corners of River's mouth now. "Like I said, if it didn't involve the Doctor, I'd call it coincidence."

"Wonderful news, everyone! After a rather lengthy and tedious argument, Ferdinand and I have finally agreed to call our new friends the Friendly League of United Forest Sentinels, or FLUFS for short. Ferdinand, of course, is the Lord High Honorable Potentate, and I get to be Minister of Transportation and Humor, though not at the same time because that would be silly. What do you think?"

Both women turn at the sound of the Doctor's voice, and both are immediately struck utterly speechless by his appearance.

The Doctor poses, leaning in what Rose is sure he thinks of as a casual yet striking manner against the corner of the TARDIS with his arms crossed. In place of his usual stuffy Oxford professor attire, he is now clothed head to toe in British colonial safari gear from his many-pocketed, belted khaki jacket (from under which his red bow tie cheerfully peeks) to his authentic British pith helmet on which his red FLUFS is currently sitting. He's even managed to find some rather interesting knee-high leather boots into which he's tucked his khaki pants.

He retrieves a monocle from the top pocket of his jacket and screws it into one eye before straightening up and tugging down the bottom hem of his jacket. "All ready now, shall we set off then? Oh, and what's a coincidence?"

_Author's Note: Apologies for lateness, if it is late. If it isn't, here you go! Had some issues naming the whats-its, so many thanks to DeDe324, lastincurableromantic, and OTHCharmfan who gave me fantastic advice and listened to me whine; btw, all three of these awesomes are fantastic writers with some pretty fabulous stories of their own, and you should go check them out. Also many thanks to lastincurableromantic for supplying my favorite lines in this whole chapter and letting me use them! Thanks to everyone for reading, and I want you all to know you can breathe a little easier because I finally figured out a) who the bad guy in this story is; b) that this story needed, y'know, an actual plot; and c) how the whole thing is going to end. _

_And you thought I knew what I was doing the whole time…_

_Thanks so much for reading, and please take just a moment to leave a little something in the box on your way out._


	11. Chapter 11

"Seriously, though, Doctor…a monocle? Really?"

"Besides the obvious coolness, if it's good enough for Sir Patrick Moore and Alfred, Lord Tennyson then it's good enough for me." He adjusts the glass circle carefully and grins. "Ready for a bit of a walk, ladies?" Without waiting for a reply, the Doctor turns north and strides off in the direction of the mysterious building that shouldn't exist.

Rose and River hurry to catch up, and soon the three of them are pushing their way through the dense jungle foliage in a vague semblance of a straight line. Rose is immediately behind the Doctor, with River taking up the rear. Rose notices once while she holds a particularly large leaf out of River's way that the other woman is carrying a gun that looks rather familiar.

River smiles when she sees Rose's eyes on her weapon. "I've had to use it more than once since I've met the Doctor, I'm afraid to say. He doesn't like it much, but it's been damned useful. I actually found it on the TARDIS. I'm not even sure he knows I have it."

Rose nods understandingly as she turns to continue following the Doctor. "I agree, had a bit of a gun myself the last time I came to visit the Doctor. It's only that I thought yours looked like one I'd seen before. I don't suppose it can make square shaped holes in things, can it?"

Before River can answer, the Doctor shushes both women and crouches on the ground at the edge of a clearing just inside the line of foliage. He motions Rose and River up next to him, and they crouch on either side.

"Oh, River," the Doctor breathes, his eyes wide. "I think both of our scans may have left a bit to the imagination. That's not just a mysterious building or facility; it's an entire compound."

Rose pushes aside some fern-like fronds and gazes out over the cleared area. She, River, and the Doctor are perched at the top center of a crescent-shaped ridge; the hill on either side of them slopes gradually down and around, while the decline in front of them slopes gently forward and ends roughly eighty meters away in a shallow sort of trench that runs around the base of the entire ridge. Rose reflects for a moment that the area looks rather like a horse shoe that's highest in the middle of the closed end and lowest between the open points.

The open space surrounded by the hill is cleared, though some areas still bear signs of the previous plant inhabitants. The space is the size of several football pitches, and Rose thinks they're maybe three or four hundred meters away from what looks to be a rather busy base. Straight across from them on the far side of the cluster of buildings is a completely flat, completely cleared area where not even stumps and underbrush remain.

Several metal, rather utilitarian looking buildings are clustered around an open area that resembles a town square with a raised platform on one end. The group of buildings is large enough that Rose can see people using different sorts of wheeled transport to get from one side to the other. There are groups of humans (or humanoids; it's hard to tell from this distance) dressed in military-esque uniforms, standing or marching in formation while scores of others scurry or ramble about on their own individual errands. Guards stand at attention at several different points around the compound, all well armed and alert to the various activities around them.

"Well," Rose observes quietly, "As impressive and organized as they are, they haven't been here very long."

"Why do you say that?" the Doctor murmurs. "They look fairly well established."

"True, but that just means they've been together a while. Doesn't mean they've been _here_. Look over there." She points to the nearest of the buildings, a good distance away but still clearly visible. "That's new, that is. A jungle like this, all this damp and everything? You can tell when a building's been sitting there a while. And the jungle hasn't started encroaching back on their clearing yet. I mean, they could just keep it trimmed back, but a space like this? You'd have to have at least one person doing that every day all day, and none of the plants near us seem all that recently trimmed. Besides, if you think I'm just way off on all of this, you could always ask your new friend there."

Ferdinand chirrups from the Doctor's shoulder, and the Doctor glances at the FLUFS. "You could have mentioned this earlier, Ferdinand." There's a rather sarcastically toned trill in response.

"What'd he say?" Rose asks.

"He said they've only been here a few weeks. So when I pointed out that he could've mentioned this, he rather caustically told me that I could've asked sooner."

Rose stifles a smile but refrains from commenting. Something in the back of her mind clicks suddenly, and she glances back at the compound. Her eyes scan the perimeter as a realization dawns on her, and she's just opening her mouth when River speaks up.

"Infiltrating the compound will be rather tricky," River remarks. "Double guard stations at strategic points around the site, regular drilling and patrol squads, heavily armed, nearly everyone wearing a uniform, so not much chance of blending in. We're most likely going to need to go back to the TARDIS and—that stupid man!"

Rose's eyes snap to River, who is glaring down the hillside in front of them where the Doctor is creeping closer to the cluster of buildings; Ferdinand grips tightly to the Doctor's collar, keeping silent and focusing his tiny eyes intently on the busy camp.

"I really hate that man sometimes," River hisses. Her realization forgotten, Rose grins and pushed her way through the foliage as quietly as she can. River checks her gun then follows Rose carefully down the hill. They follow the Doctor's path as best they can until the three of them are lying side by side, flat on their bellies, peeking over the edge of the short embankment.

The Doctor glances at River and whispers, "No, you don't."

"That was monumentally stupid," she fires back, visibly struggling to control her volume. "Anyone could've seen us coming down that hill. There was no cover; we were completely exposed the whole way down. We have no plan, no back-up, nothing whatsoever to go up against what is quickly shaping up to be a blasted army! We don't even know—"

"You're right, we don't know, and we certainly won't find out until—"

"Oi, you two, shut it and listen!" Rose hisses. The other two have been so intent on their bickering they're failed to hear the whining of approaching engines. As a ship bursts into view overhead on the far side of the base, Rose suddenly understands the purpose of the large cleared area next to the buildings: extra landing space. On her other side, the Doctor whispers, "Blimey…how much traffic do you think comes through here?"

"Judging by the worn areas, I'd say plenty…and it looks like they're bringing more troops in as we speak. But what for?" River asks, her eyebrows knitted anxiously together.

The ship lands, and several transport vehicles pull up on the far side. Because of their particular angle, all Rose can see is legs. After several groups of what seem to be soldiers (more military uniforms), she notes that not everyone feels the necessity to blend in.

"We've either got a VIP female or a man who looks rather impressive in a skirt. All I can see are legs and a hemline," Rose whispers to the other two. The Doctor grins at her, and she can't help but return the expression. She feels a flush of giddiness, a rush of adrenaline, and suddenly a hundred years previous doesn't seem so long ago. They watch the group still remaining outside the plane until everyone has boarded the transport vehicles (including hot legs), and the transport vehicles have driven off.

"Anyone get a look at any faces?" the Doctor asks quietly. Rose shakes her head, River mirroring the gesture though her face bears a rather concerned look.

"Doctor, does this place feel a bit…familiar to you?"

"No. Should it?"

River shakes her head, more a gesture of frustration than negation. "It's just this strange feeling I have like…I don't know. I've never been here before, but I feel like we have."

"I don't know about familiarity," Rose whispers, "but something's definitely off." Her realization from a few moments ago returns at full force as she watches a transport vehicle drive between several sets of guards at a sentry station. "Where are the walls, the barricades, the barbed wire? What's the point of all these guards if they're not going to even try to keep things out? It's like they're watching for something but don't really care if it gets in or not."

The trio is silent for several minutes, watching the activities they can see from their vantage point.

"I still think we should go back to the TARDIS, maybe consider getting some back-up of some sort," River finally murmurs. "We really don't have any idea what we're dealing with, and it's the closest thing we have to a plan."

"If you're looking for a plan, I've always been a fan or people coming quietly and peacefully with their hands above their heads and visible at all times. That usually works out well for me," a new voice adds from behind them.

Ferdinand lets out a frightened trill, and the Doctor grins manically. "I don't think we're going to quite make it back to TARDIS just yet, River." He flops over so he's resting on his back with his hands folded neatly and cushioning the back of his head against the ground. "Lovely to meet you. I'm the Doctor. Take me to your leader."

_Author's Note: What's in the mystery base? What's the point of this whole military operation? Who's that person with the hot legs? And who in the world has just attempted to capture the Doctor and Co.? Tune in next time to find out! And if you've made it this far, thanks so much for reading. Please take a moment to leave a little something in the box on your way out._


	12. Chapter 12

Rose has to work very hard to keep a straight face and suppress a snort. Trust the Doctor to have a glib response to pretty much any threat. He's probably been wanting to say that for a while now.

Now, however, is not the best time for sarcasm and foolish actions, as she'd rather not watch the Doctor change into yet another regeneration. Nor does she know how resilient River might be, so Rose endeavors to slowly and deliberately follow instructions. With her hands behind her head, she rolls over to face their captors, bringing herself in slightly closer proximity to the Doctor. Their eyes lock for just a moment, and Rose has to admit that her pounding heart is motivated more by excitement than fear. Oh, how she's missed this.

Oh, how she's missed him, as well.

Her own excitement is reflected back at her from the Doctor's twinkling eyes; oddly enough, this does less to calm Rose and more to start a rather gnawing seed of anxiety in the pit of her stomach.

_Reckless…_

Before Rose can examine the thought echoing through her head and her sudden reversal of confidence, she remembers the three of them are currently being captured, arrested, or something else equally as inconvenient and dangerous, so she turns her attention back to the source of their current predicament.

_We've really got to start paying better attention_. Six soldiers stand in a semi-circle around them, guns primed and aimed at the trio on the ground. The speaker, a non-descript man standing near the middle of the formation, is a mild and surprisingly pleasant-looking man who looks to be somewhere in his mid-forties. His hair must be fairly short because it's hidden entirely under his black, insignia-adorned beret, the only part of his uniform that differs from the other soldiers. Rose notices with a strange thrill of amusement that his ears stick out quite obviously from beneath the cap in a rather endearing fashion.

If the person currently pointing a gun at the person you love most in the universe can be considered endearing, that is.

"Doctor, Professor Song, ma'am (this to Rose; apparently they don't know who she is), we'll require any weapons or items of interest you may have on you. I give you this chance to give them up freely."

For just a moment, the Doctor gazes up at the man with a puzzled expression. "Do I know you from somewhere, soldier?"

Before the man can answer, a loud, offended squawk sounds from underneath the Doctor's shoulder, and he shifts to reveal a rather dirty and disgruntled Ferdinand. The little FLUFS trills angrily at the Doctor before setting off at a surprisingly quick pace past the soldiers and up the hill before disappearing back into the jungle.

"Blimey, I never realize what rude things he could think of to say about someone's mother. It's not like I _meant_ to squash him, poor thing." Why, _why_ is it so difficult to keep a straight face around this man when they are obviously in danger?

"Doctor? I apologize for interrupting, but we are in the middle of capturing you here, if you don't mind. I'd rather prefer this go smoothly than otherwise." Despite his mild tone, the soldier still has his weapon trained directly on the Doctor and is obviously waiting for compliance with his original request…or, rather, order.

"Well, soldier," the Doctor drawls, clearly intending to push the man's buttons, "As we're flat on the ground keeping our hands in plain view and not making any sudden movements, it will be rather difficult to turn over everything we have of interest, don't you think?"

The soldier eyes the Doctor quietly for a moment before inclining his head to issues orders. Rose notices that he never moves his eyes from the Doctor for a single moment. "One man each assisting the prisoners in standing. Remaining soldiers, weapons on the Doctor at all times."

Once they're standing, the soldiers quickly relieve River of her squareness gun and the strange cuff on her wrist, and she turns over her handheld device with obvious reluctance. The soldiers then turn their attention to Rose who turns out her own pockets carefully. As she wasn't carrying anything on her at the time of her meeting with the Doctor, the search goes rather quickly. Then everyone's attention turns to the Doctor.

"Your sonic, please, Doctor," says the soldier in charge.

The Doctor frowns, obviously considering, then removes the device from his inner jacket pocket and slowly hands it over to the soldier. "I _will_ have that back, so keep it in good order."

"Anything else of interest on your person, sir?" Two soldiers move in to carefully pat down the Doctor while the remaining men continue to keep him in their weapons' sights. Despite the plethora of objects Rose knows for a fact he keeps on his person at all times, the soldiers fail to find anything else. As the men withdraw and raise their weapons once more, the Doctor turns his attention back to the soldier giving the orders.

"Do you have a name you'd like me to call you, or shall I make one up? I've done rather well today so far."

Rose swears she sees the flash of a quickly repressed smile on the man's face. "You can call me Sgt. Smith, sir."

"Well, Sgt. Smith, I'm going to need you to answer a few questions for me before we go any further. Obviously, you know me and my friends here, but who are you, really? What is this place? Who's in charge, and why exactly are you holding us at gunpoint? What have you got to hide at this place? Tell me the whole plan!" He stares at the sergeant intently, actually waiting for an answer. Rose fails to suppress her snort this time, and River sighs tiredly.

"Doctor," Sgt. Smith asks slowly, "has that ever actually worked?"

"Not really, no."

"If you're done, then, we'll just be moving off, if you don't mind."

"If I do mind?"

"We'll just be moving off, then." Smith addresses the soldiers quickly, still not taking his eyes from the Doctor. "Flanking pattern Alpha Omega. Head out."

Two soldiers flank Rose and River, ushering them in front of the Doctor while two more walk beside the Time Lord himself. Smith and the remaining soldier walk just behind the Doctor as they head off towards the large group of buildings.

The odd group is paid little attention by other soldiers as they move, but anyone they pass who's wearing a lab coat stops repeatedly and states at them. If more than one of these lab coats are together, they whisper excitedly or nervously to each other and hurry off. Rose notices that while a significant amount of attention is being paid to River and the Doctor, she is personally receiving what she feels is far more than her fair share of looks and whispers.

Their entourage pauses outside a metal building that is seemingly identical to all the others that Rose has seen: plain, cream-colored, and huge. The soldier next to River detaches from formation and keys in a code on the pad next to the door. A beep emanates from the pad, to which the soldier responds by swiping a card attached to a pull string on his hip down the side of the keypad. As the soldier moves back to his place by River, Rose happens to catch the other woman's eye.

River is staring hard at Rose, and she opens her eyes wide twice then gives an infinitesimal jerk of her head in the soldier's direction. Just then the door in front of them swings open, and the soldier next to Rose steps forward to take the lead.

Rose follows, puzzling over River's odd behavior the has a flash of realization as she steps over the threshold. She knows if she hesitates or thinks too hard, she'll stop herself, as there's a very real potential of being shot, so she simply allows her body to move without thinking. Her heel slips off the edge of the step, causing her to stumble hard backwards into River's guard. He, in turn, smacks hard into River who puts her hands up to catch the guard and keep herself from joining the domino effect.

Knowing it will seem to staged if she cushions her fall, Rose glances off the guard, hitting the ground with a painful and audible thud!" Wincing at the sting in her scraped palms and the ache in her posterior, she brushes herself off and starts to pull herself up only to be offered a hand by Sgt. Smith.

As the sergeant pulls her to her feet, she notices several things simultaneously: the soldiers are apparently so well trained that they've thankfully kept their heads and not simply started shooting because something went wrong; the Doctor is eyeing her concern, though he is refraining from rushing over; River is tucking something into the front of her blouse and decidedly not looking at Rose; and something is dropped into Rose's pocket. Her eyes flick to Sgt. Smith, whose face is completely blank.

"Please watch your step in the future, ma'am. I'd sincerely regret having to shoot you if I thought you were up to something."

_Author's Note: Apologies for absence, you wonderful readers. I've been rather ill, and it did NOT want to leave. Then I was bitten by the "this sucks, why are you even working on it bug"…but I soldiered on, and here we are. I have the next chapter written, I just have to type it up. Thanks for sticking with me so far, extra thanks to everyone who's liked, followed, read, and reviewed. You are all fabulous, fantastic, brilliant, and everything in between. If you've made it this far, please take a moment to leave a few words in the review box on your way out._


	13. Chapter 13

Sgt. Smith leads the way this time, walking the group down an utterly unremarkable corridor. Several doors line the stark walls, but none of the doors open, and no one joins them in the hallway. Smith stops at an unmarked door that differs from the others in absolutely no way that Rose can discern.

As with all the other doors, there is a card swiper and key pad which he takes care of swiftly. The guards near the rear of the group prod the Doctor forward and through the door. An annoyed glint flashes through the Doctor's eyes as one of the guard's gun tips digs into his back, and he kicks the door on his way past, leaving an ugly smudge on the outside corner.

"Oops! I've dirtied your lovely, clean door! So sorry, how rude of me. Must've forgotten my manners when the deadly weapon jabbed into my spine."

Sgt. Smith gives the offending soldier a mild look, but Rose notices how quickly the man removes his weapon and takes a step back.

"Apologies sir." Smith offers a bland but sincere smile. "I'll make sure it doesn't happen again. If you'll please step this way." Rose cranes her neck to see into the room, as she and River are left standing in the hall. She takes a step to her left, ignoring the warning glance from the soldier next to her.

At first glance, the room appears to be completely bare with nothing remarkable inside. The walls are white with no markings of any kind, and the room is completely lacking in anything in the way of furnishings. Taking a second look, Rose notices four unobtrusive boxes attached at the junctures of either wall and ceiling or wall and floor. Each box is directly across from the others, forming a frame around the room that's about ten paces in, leaving roughly twenty paces from there to the back wall.

"Please move past the boxes on the wall, sir. I'll ask you to wait there while we escort the ladies to their own room."

The Doctor eyes the sergeant for a moment as if he'll argue then seems to change his mind. He shrugs and steps into the room. The moment he moves past the boxes, a blue shimmering light flashes between the casings then disappears as quickly as it appeared. The Doctor whirls around, apparently inspecting the air in front of his face. He reaches out a hand, his fingers questing through the air until they are stopped by an unseen wall.

"Standard density containment field projected through self-replication of insulated initiator beams. The shield protects and surrounds the circuits that produce it to keep geniuses like me from fiddling with its inner workings. And you've doubled the width of the shield…rather impressive, I'd say."

"My own design," Sgt. Smith returns mildly. "If you'll excuse me, sir, we'll return for your questioning session shortly."

Rose has remained silent throughout this exchange, but the realization that she and the Doctor are about to be separated again shocks her vocal cords awake.

"Doctor, we can't—" But he shakes his head sharply, just once, and she stops her protest. Whatever is going on here, apparently he wants to go along with it for now. Rose doubts he has a plan yet, other than to see what's going to happen next, but as she can't think of anything better, she sighs and resigns herself to being led away from the room with River.

Rose glances over her shoulder at the Doctor, whose hand is still pressed against the invisible barrier. Before he can school his expression into cheerful reassurance, Rose sees the flare of desperate panic. He blinks, and the expression is gone from his face, but not before Rose's heart twinges painfully.

_I'll find you, Doctor_, she mouths silently.

His eyes flick downward just as the door shuts between them. She looks in the direction of his gaze and finds the dark scuffmark the Doctor left on the outside of the door.

The only thing that distinguishes his door from all the others in the seemingly endless, featureless hallway.

Rose raises her eyes from the door quickly as the group starts forward still flanked by soldiers. Sgt. Smith takes the lead again, leading the group past several more doors.

"There's a perception filter at work here," River murmurs, her eyes sweeping the hallway ahead of them. "Makes the corridor seem much longer than it is, confuses people who aren't used to it so they'll get lost even in this straight hallway. Look." She nods her head behind them.

Rose glances back and is shocked to see the same endless corridor behind them as the one in front of them. The door they originally came through has completely vanished, and the only difference she can see in the hallway at all is the faint mark left by the Doctor's shoe. Her eyes flick back to River's, and the other woman smiles knowingly.

Ahead of them the sergeant stops at another seemingly random door and completes the security procedures to enter. The group files in behind him, and he gestures for Rose and River to enter a holding area identical to the Doctor's.

"Ladies, if you would."

"What, both of us together?" The startled comment bursts from Rose before she can stop it, and she curses herself for not being more disciplined. They (whoever they are) don't need to know what she's thinking, and she's old enough to know she needs to be guarding her tongue.

"We weren't planning on having quite so many intruders today, so we only had the two rooms prepared. As we've searched the three of you and will be placing armed guards at all of your doors, the least dangerous combination was determined to be you, ma'am, and Prof. Song, leaving the Doctor by himself. I'm not anticipating the two of you being able to take out the _entire_ base before we can stop you." His expression is amused, though not unkind.

At this point one of the soldiers steps up, concern flashing across his face as he whispers something urgently in the sergeant's ear.

Sgt. Smith nods. "Thank you for the information, Private; I'm fully aware of the situation, and I'll be sure to keep your opinion under advisement."

"But sir—"

Sgt. Smith turns a look of faint disapproval on the soldier who blanches and steps hastily back into place with a frantic, "Yes, sir!"

Sgt. Smith turns back to Rose and River. "Ladies?" The pair step carefully across the invisible line, and Rose just catches the brief flare out of the corner of her eye as the barrier bursts to life.

Smith dips his head briefly. "I do appreciate your cooperation so far, Prof. Song, ma'am. I hope you plan to continue doing so for the time being. As I said earlier," and here his eyes land significantly on Rose, "I'd honestly regret having to shoot you."

Something in his tone alerts Rose to more than just his words. His left eye narrows ever so slightly then returns to normal as he backs quickly away from the barrier and leaves the room. The group of soldiers swiftly follows, and the door shuts behind them with an audible click as the locks engage.

"Assume they're listening and watching at all times," River murmurs under her breath. She moves over to a corner of the room, allowing herself to sink wearily to the floor. Louder, she says, "I swear, the trouble I get into all for that stupid man."

Rose can't help the wry smile that emerges as she follows River, sliding down to join her on the floor. "Cheers to that," she laughs, then mutters, "What did you get?"

"Security ID and code for the doors."

Rose sighs, allowing some of the tension humming through her to show on her face. "I'm worried about what he'll do if we can't get back to him soon. His eyes when we left…I know you said he's better than he was, River, but there's something desperate in him that's still ready to break."

River's head bows for a moment, and her hair falls forwards, temporarily shielding her face. "I know. He's a danger to himself still, and I don't know what's going to happen. That's when I'm most afraid: when I have absolutely no idea what the Doctor is going to do."

As River talks, Rose readjusts herself to find a more comfortable position on the floor. She feels something jab into her leg from her pocket, and Sgt. Smith's twitching eye is suddenly recalled to her mind.

"On the plus side," she murmurs softly, "We may have two things we didn't count on to help up besides your security pass and code." She casually places her hand in her pocket, careful not to draw attention to the action.

"What's that?"

"An ally, for one. There's something about that Sgt. Smith…and the Doctor thinks he might recognize him, so that's something. And it I'm not mistaken…" she pauses as he fingers quest over the mysterious object in her pocket. Something clicks in her brain, and she just manages to keep the sudden rush of elation off her face.

"What is it?" River mutters quietly, studying the walls around them and determinedly keeping her eyes anywhere but on Rose.

"Our ticket out of here," Rose replies softly. "I do believe our new friend has slipped me the Doctor's sonic. The question now is when do we use it? Are we being observed? I don't see any way they can be, but anything's possible, I suppose."

"Oh, I think so, yes," River replies a little more loudly. She climbs to her feet, moving closer to the wall on their left. "Places like this always have hidden cameras in the walls, usually under perception filters like the ones in the hallway; small, about the size of an apple usually." She peers at the expanse of wall suspiciously for several long moments before sighing and returning to her seat next to Rose.

"What was that all about?" Rose whispers, her eyebrows raised in concern. "And how d'you know how they 'usually' do things in places like this? You said outside this place felt familiar."

"Thought I saw something move on the wall there, but…" River shakes her head tiredly, her lowered voice coming across rather strained. "Look, we both know they're watching and listening somehow, otherwise we wouldn't bother taking such care with our volume and action. I would say the best course of action would be to wait as long as we dare for someone to come question us then see what results from that session."

She glances at Rose out of the corner of her eye. "And judging by everyone's reactions to you, I don't doubt it'll be a short wait. I think we could count that to our advantage as well; the Doctor and I seem to have been expected, but no one seems to know what to do with you."

Rose is a little thrown by River's sudden change in topic, but she'd figured as much. It's not the first time this sort of mysteriousness has worked in her favor, and she has a brief mental flashback to a particular incident with the Daleks.

"I'd like to keep it that was as long as possible," she mutters. "What do you think of Sgt. Smith? He's got to be the one who slipped the Doctor's sonic to me? The Doctor thinks he knows him; d'you think we can trust him?"

"I don't think we have much of a choice, although it definitely hurts his case that he's on the enemy side, whoever they turn out to be."

"Are you sure you don't know anything about this place, River?" Rose asks. Something's sticking in her mind, but she can't quite put her finger on it. "You did say this place felt familiar, but you and the Doctor both said this place shouldn't be here, nothing should. How can you remember what isn't supposed to exist?"

"You'd be surprised how often that happens…seems to run in my family, actually," River says softly, a sad smile turning up one side of her mouth. Then she frowns as a look of concentration passes over her face. "But I don't remember it, not exactly. More like a dream I thought I might've had that I can't quite recall."

She shakes her head slowly, her wild hair dancing and bouncing around her face. "I just don't know."

Rose sighs, drawing her knees to her chest. She folds her arms over the tops of her knees and rests her chin, eyes locked on the door.

"Not how I thought this day would go, really."

River lets out a sharp, genuine laugh. "Oh, be serious. You set out to meet the Doctor. What else _could_ have happened?"

Rose grins despite her growing sense of anxiety. "Well, alright, but I never saw you coming, that's for sure."

"Likewise, dear."

The two women fall silent then, watching the door and wondering how long they'll have to wait. Thankfully, less than an hour passes before the door swings open and soldiers begin to file into the room.

"Didn't hear anyone approach," River mutters. "Soundproofing."

"That's good and bad," Rose replies. She and River climb quickly to their feet to face the new arrival. A woman steps through the door, and Rose immediately recognizes the hemline she glimpsed at the landing strip. She turns to say something to River, but is shocked into silence by look of disbelief and horror on the other woman's face.

"No…" The word is halfway between a whisper and a moan, and Rose doesn't think River is even aware of speaking it.

"Hello, Melody," The woman says, smiling. Her voice is low and gravely, and the smile does nothing to warm the glacial chill permanently etched into the lines around her pinched lips and one visible eye.

"No, you can't be here," River moans. Her knees buckle, and Rose just manages to grab her before she hits the floor. "You're dead, you died, you can't _be_ here!"

"Oh, Melody, you know better than that. Dying in a reality that never existed in the first place? Hardly permanent. I expected better of the girl I raised. Now, let's put these theatrics aside and concentrate on more concerning issues."

The woman takes a few steps into the room, flanked by several grim-faced soldiers.

"I very much appreciate your cooperation in bringing the Doctor here, but I'm afraid your unexpected friend has caused quite a stir."

"Her friend can hear you just fine, y'know," Rose interjects, annoyed at the woman's superior, patronizing tone. The woman shifts her singular gaze to Rose, the light glinting off her silvery eye patch.

"Apologies, dear. Melody and I have what you'd call a rather extensive history. I'm rather intrigued that Melody would bring you on today's outing; it was meant to be strictly a family gathering. We have yet to uncover any intelligence as to your identity or the purpose of your presence here today, and I must confess I don't much enjoy being left in the dark on such important details."

Rose can feel her temper flaring even as River's strength seems to be flagging.

"I'm no detail or puzzle to be figured out at your leisure. You've no right to keep us here or even be here in the first place. What the hell are you hiding, and who the hell do you think you are?"

"Oh, my dear, you really don't know, do you?" Still smiling, the woman spreads her hands and gestures at River's shocked and horrified form. "I raised the woman who kills the Doctor."

A freezing chill ripples down Rose's spine, and River's weight in her arms seems to multiply suddenly. She staggers, and it's all she can do to keep the two of them standing. The woman reach into a pouch on her side and removes what looks like a small, black remote control.

"And now it's time for me to wake her so she can finally do her job properly. You've been a great disappointment to me, Melody, but don't worry. There's time to remedy that." The woman points the remote at River, who is backing out of Rose's arms and shaking her head frantically.

"No, no you can't! I'm not…I won't let you, I can't be—"

"River, what the hell is going on? I can help you, but you've got to talk to me!" Rose grasps River's arms, trying to calm the hysterical woman and her own growing dread. River grips Rose's arms suddenly in return, forcing Rose to lock eyes with her.

"You must listen to me, Rose, I'm not safe! You must not let the Doctor near me, whatever you do! He won't listen, but you've got to make him. When you see me again—"

"What do you mean, when I see you again? Where—"

Then the smiling woman presses a button on the remote, and River dissolves with a splash into a large puddle of white liquid. The guards turn and start to file out of the room, and the woman turns her smile on Rose.

"Whoever you are, I'm delighted to make your acquaintance. I'm sure I'll learn all about you soon enough. The Doctor wouldn't speak a word about you during our questioning session, even after we made several extensive efforts at…persuading him. Don't worry, though. We'll have a lovely chat, just the two of us, soon enough. Until then."

Then she steps through the door, and Rose is left with an arm covered in what used to be River and the sinister laughter of the eye-patched woman ringing in her ears.

_Author's Note: So…Thought I'd give you something to chew on this time. What'd you think? Thank you to everyone who's reviewed, favorited, followed, and read this far. Please take a moment to leave a review; I really appreciate it._


	14. Chapter 14

For several moments after the door shuts, all Rose can do is stare in shock at the white goo covering her forearm and dripping into the large puddle at her feet.

"What the hell just happened?" she murmurs. As she gazes down at the white puddle, she remembers what she and River were discussing when they were first left alone; she crouches and carefully scans the liquid before spotting what she's looking for. She reaches for the submerged object before hesitating.

_This used to be River_, her brain reminds her. _Do you really want to go digging through her remains?_

_Am I even sure these are remains?_ the other side of her mind counters. They certainly don't resemble any sort of human remains Rose has ever seen. In fact, though Rose has never gone so far as to analyze things through the Doctor's tried-and-true lick method, she has learned to trust her sense of smell. And if she's not mistaken, this substance smells an awful lot like…

"Melted plastic. Huh. I did not see that coming." Swallowing her misgivings, Rose shrugs and reaches into the puddle, retrieving the security card River was able to nick from the security guard earlier. If nothing else, Rose is pretty sure River would have wanted her to do so, considering she seemed fairly adamant that Rose protect the Doctor at all costs.

"I'm sorry River…but…you said keep the Doctor safe."

Before she can do more than stand and scrape some of the plastic from her arm, the door swings open, and Sgt. Smith slips into the room. Though Rose knows he is probably the only person in this compound she can trust besides the Doctor, she can't help the bitterness that creeps into her voice.

"Are you going to melt me like you did River? How did you do that, anyway? I've never seen someone simply melt like that before, certainly not seen them turned into plastic. Or are you here for my questioning session? I have to say, I was expecting someone a bit more feminine." Rose catches the wry smile that flashes across his face but chooses not to comment.

"I need you to use the Doctor's sonic device to disable one of the boxes, ma'am. We're on a bit of a tight schedule, I'm afraid."

Rose narrows her eyes, still not ready to put all her trust in someone who's clearly marked as the enemy. "How do I know this isn't some excuse to put me under tighter security once I've broken out and use torture methods to interrogate me?"

Smith sighs and says, "We don't exactly need an excuse to that in the first place, ma'am, and I can promise you if you don't leave this room soon the torture methods will be on their way. I've got a small window for us that will close fairly quickly if you don't hurry."

Fair enough. "I don't know the proper setting," Rose replies, striding closer to the barrier as she pulls the sonic screwdriver from her pocket.

"I'm told this new model is somewhat psychic. Something along the lines of pointing and thinking."

Rose frowns, pointing the sonic at the nearest box and concentrating. After a noisy, tense second, she is rewarded with sparks and a sudden flash as the barrier dissolves.

"Why couldn't you just let me out?" Rose asks, stepping forward hastily in case the shield repairs itself before she can escape. "It's your prison, your design, you said so yourself."

"Had to be sure you could do it, ma'am. I won't be with you for the next one." Smith reaches into his pockets and begins extracting different items.

"Next one? D'you mean the Doc—"

"Not trying to be rude, ma'am, but I need you to listen for a moment." The sergeant's tone is urgent and hurried, silencing Rose instantly. "We're short on time, but I _have_ bought you and the Doctor enough of a window to get you where you need to be. I can keep your guards out of the way, and the Doctor's guards are already taken care of. Do you have the security card Prof. Song was able to obtain?"

"Yes, but she never gave me the code."

"That's not a problem. What's the name on the card?"

Rose wipes the card clean on her pants leg, leaving a long, white smear, and peers at the name. "Santos?"

Smith nods. "Seven-four-six-zero-nine-nine-two."

Rose pauses a moment, making a special effort to actively remember the code. It would be absolutely _fantastic_ to be recaptured in the middle of an escape because she couldn't remember seven simple numbers. "But sergeant, why are you—"

"Just a moment, ma'am. When you get to the Doctor, we have a way to transport you to headquarters. Once you arrive, I'm sure you know what to do. Tell the Doctor that the situation involves Madame Kovarian; he'll know who that is. Tell him it's much bigger than last time, that she's planning to—"

Sgt. Smith is interrupted by a beeping from something in the depth of one of his pockets. He curses and begins handing items to Rose, starting with River's squarness gun and the empty holster at his hip. "This should clip to your belt quite easily. Time's nearly gone; we're about to have to move, and fast. Tell the Doctor everything that's happened, and be ready." He pauses, thinking hard, then pulls River's handheld computer and her wrist cuff from his pockets.

"Take these. Tell the Doctor if he wants to find Prof. Song, I've programmed her location into the computer there. I've downloaded some schematics as well that should help you find your way about down there. Warn him to watch out for the monks."

Rose is beyond confused, and can barely form her scrambled thoughts into questions. "Wait, if he'll want to find her? How can he find her, she's just melted on the floor! And what monks? What the hell is going on?"

"Ma'am, the Doctor's not in the best shape just now. If you'll forgive my forwardness, he needs you, and we're running out of time. You need to go."

Just the thought of the Doctor in distress sets Rose's blood pounding and her nerves on edge.

"Once I get in the Doctor's room and disable his force field, what next?"

"Disable all four boxes so the shield can't self-repair." As if on cue, the box Rose disable hums once, falls silent, then beeps three times. The shield behind them flashes blue once more then falls invisible again.

Sgt. Smith continues, "Wait there. Once the boxes are disabled, we can get a lock on you and the Doctor and transport you underground to headquarters. It's roughly five miles directly beneath us, teleport's just the fastest way. Make sure you're touching the Doctor at the time, ma'am, and anything you need to take with you. I'm afraid I can't go with you, as I'll have to return to my post and cover your escape. I'll try to track you and give what help I can, but I don't know when I'll see you again."

"Sgt. Smith, I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help, but the Doctor will want to know who you are, how we can trust you." Rose is busy stowing Rover's computer in her pocket along with the Doctor's sonic. She fits the cuff on her wrist and clips the holster to her belt, sliding the gun into position and securing it in place.

"Tell the Doctor I met him once before. Tell him angels brought him to me a long time ago."

"Angels? What—"

Sgt. Smith's pocket beeps shrilly, longer and more insistent this time.

"Wait behind the door. Once it shuts behind me, count to twelve then use the card and code to exit. Go directly to the Doctor's room. You know what to do from there."

"As much as I ever do," Rose mutters as she moves to comply. A few seconds later, Rose swipes the security card, enters the code, and cautiously sticks her head out the door. No sign of Smith of her guards.

"Off we go, then," she murmurs and sets off down the hall at a cautious sprint. She keeps low and ready, not sure what kind of opposition she might meet. Just because no one entered the hallway before doesn't mean someone won't suddenly remember they left their pen in another room.

Much to her surprise, Rose makes it to the scuffmarked door rather quickly and is inside in record time. The door shuts with a muffled click, and Rose's heart drops to her stomach.

On the other side of the invisible barrier, the Doctor lies in a silent, unmoving heap. He's curled in on himself with his back to the door, shoved as far into the corner as he can get. His face is hidden from view, and his arms are curled over the back of his neck and head. His safari jacket, bow tie, boots and socks have been flung about the space with obvious disregard as to whether he would need them again.

For one frozen, agonizing moment Rose can't tell whether he's breathing or not. Then she sees his side slowly rise and fall, and meaning returns to her universe.

"Doctor," she calls softly, unsurprised at the tremor in her voice. She stows the security card and pulls out the sonic screwdriver. When he doesn't respond, she makes short work of the boxes and steps over the invisible line.

Knowing the doctor is alive for the moment but not knowing how or when they'll be transported, Rose stows the sonic and quickly gathers his scattered clothing into a bundle, hurrying to his side. She kneels next to him, dreading what she might see, and very carefully rolls the Doctor onto his back. To her surprise, the Doctor seems largely unmarked. After a moment of shocked relief, she realizes lack of visible wounds might not necessarily be a good thing.

And he's still not waking up.

"Doctor," she murmurs, gently smoothing his wild hair from his sweat-slicked face. He seems even younger in this vulnerable state, and Rose's heart twinges painfully at his pallid coloring. Most of the buttons on his shirt are undone, his braces pulled off his shoulders and left loose, and Rose is appalled to see a nasty mark that looks something like a cross between a bruise and a burn starting just to the left of his neck and continuing down underneath his shirt.

She reaches out, gingerly grasping the edges of his collar, knowing she doesn't want to see the extent of the damage but determined all the same. To her dismay, the mark continues diagonally all the way across his chest and over his ribs, stopping just short of his back. There are at least three other similar marks on his chest and abdomen, though none as long or as serious-looking as the first.

"It's considered rude to…undress a gentleman while he's unconscious. Might…make him think you have somewhat less than honorable…intentions toward his person."

Though his voice is weak and the words obviously forced, Rose almost cries with relief. She turns to see his eyes squinting up at her, tired and pained, and a smile of relief floods over her face.

"Nice to see you joining the Land of the Conscious again. Wasn't sure if I was going to be able to wake you up. What did they do to you, Doctor?"

He ignores her question, reaching slowly until he's grasping her hand. "Knew…you'd come back to save the day. Didn't…tell them…about you. You're safe." There's an embarrassing, prickling sting at the backs of her eyes, but Rose manages to hold back her tears. She takes the cuff of her sleeve in her free hand and gently wipes some of the sweat from the Doctor's pale, tired face.

"I don't know why, but there's people helping us, and they're about to transport us to the underground headquarters of this place. I've gotten your clothes; d'you think you can sit up yet?"

For once the Doctor actually shakes his head, only a slight twitch, but enough to show negation. "Feeling a tad…run down. Going to lie still for a few minutes…Yes."

Rose interlaces her fingers with his, pressing the palm of her free hand gently to his cheek. "You lie still as long as you need to. I don't know how they're transporting us, but they should be able to do it no matter what position we're in."

"I'd wager…it'll be something to do with that vortex…manipulator on your wrist." Rose blinks in surprise and chagrin. She'd known the cuff looked familiar, but she feels silly for not recognizing what it was.

"You mean like Jack's vortex manipulator?"

"Just like, yes…but…why are you wearing River's vortex manipulator, Rose? Why hasn't River chimed in yet? Where is she? And didn't they take that from her while we were outside?"

Rose doesn't much want to answer the Doctor's sudden myriad of difficult questions, but before she can start, the cuff on her wrist hums, then vibrates. Rose has a split second when she remembers to grab both the bundle of clothes and hang on to the Doctor, and then reality is jerked away in a rather less than comfortable fashion.

They land with a thump in absolute blackness on a very hard surface.

"Here we are," the Doctor murmurs, his voice a little stronger than before.

"Wherever here is," Rose agrees quietly. She shuffles around for a moment, as the transport caused the Doctor to land on her leg, but in the end they have enough room to sort themselves relatively comfortably for the time being.

"I don't suppose you have some sort of light source?" the Doctor asks. Rose grins into the darkness as she releases the Doctor's hand and fumbles in her pocket for a moment.

"As a matter of fact," she murmurs, pressing something into his hand, "I have something you might be wanting."

There's a tinny click as the Doctor flicks his wrist, and the familiar cheerful hum of the sonic sounds as a soft green light fills the room. The Doctor's face lights up with a smile as he shines the light towards Rose. "There you are. Hello. I think I'd like to try sitting up now."

Rose grasps his arm and helps him rise to a stable sitting position. The Doctor shines the sonic around the room, and Rose hopes fervently that no one outside the walls of wherever they are can here the quiet humming.

"Alright, then, Rose…I think it's not too much of a leap to say that we're safe for the moment, but we need to take inventory of what we have, and you need to tell me what I missed."

Rose opens her mouth to speak, but stops at the embarrassed look on the Doctor's face. "What? What's wrong?"

"Well, I understand it's not top priority right now, but I was just wondering if you'd managed to perhaps…well…" He trails off hesitantly, obviously expecting a bad reaction.

"What is it, Doctor?"

He looks a little like a child expecting to be told off but has decided to put on a brace face and soldier through regardless as he asks sheepishly, "I don't suppose you managed to rescue my bow tie?"

_Author's Note: Had a pretty rough few weeks. Writing helped a bit, but I'm hoping for some words of encouragement today. You are all awesome for making it this far, and if you could do just a tad more and leave some support in the review box, I'd really appreciate it. Yes, I am soliciting just a bit. Thanks._


	15. Chapter 15

"I'm sorry, but i wasn't ale to find your hat...I found most everything else, though."Suppressing a smile, Rose hands the Doctor his bundle of belongings and stands, straightening her clothing and checking the contents of her pockets.

"Just as well," he grumbles, separating out each item. "It was a bit too cool to last."

As the Doctor begins reassembling himself, Rose borrows the sonic screwdriver and sets about exploring their current location, which seems to be crammed full of boxes and various bits of machinery.

"I think we're in some sort of storage room or junk closet just based on the contents," Rose reports back as she moves slowly around the cramped space. "There's random bits of stuff and some boxes of uniforms and things. Looks like they're expecting a few more people. And it only proves what I said about them not having been here for very long."

"How so?" the Doctor asks as he pulls on his boots.

"Well, these are military blokes, yeah? If they'd been here long, these uniforms and things would be in a proper distribution area? Not shoved in a closet with random junk. Oh, and brooms. There're brooms and mops. Those don't tend to be kept with the clothes when you've had proper time to organize. Plus, there's no dust."

"Maybe they're just an unorganized group who doesn't like to clean their storage cupboards," the Doctor replies, using some boxes for support as he gingerly slides his feet underneath himself. He just manages to shakily climb to his feet, swaying in place for a few moments before seeming to decide that sitting is preferable, and he plops ungracefully onto a nearby crate with a huff.

"First of all, Doctor, have you ever met an unorganized military? It's a contradiction, doesn't happen; that's the point of military. I've had enough Torchwood training to know that. Second, this was an organized trap. They expected us, and they were waiting. Well, they were waiting for you and River. Apparently, I'm the 'unexpected' element."

"I think you should tell me what happened while we were separated. I feel like I'm missing a few details."

She stops her searching then, switching off the sonic, and makes her way back through the boxes to the Doctor. While the room is rather narrow and crowded, it's surprisingly lengthy, and it takes a moment for the Doctor to come back into view. Rose finds him sitting on the same crate and shrugging his coat back on, mostly put to rights though his bow tie is just a tad bit crooked. She joins him on the largish crate, bumping his hip with hers to get him to make room. He gives her a tired half-smile.

"How'd we get down here, exactly? I know it was the vortex manipulator, which by the way you still need to tell me how you got, and I remember you and River leaving then I had some time to myself. Then they came and…questioned me, then you were there trying to undress me, which I'm not completely averse to, just so you know, but that parts a bit blurry…and then we were here."

Even now Rose has to admire his ability to go so long without stopping for a breath.

"I guess I should really start outside before we got to your cell in the first place. River had this plan that I should trip to distract the guards, and she grabbed one of their security passes. She picked the one who opened the door so she could get his code as well, so we had to wait until after the door was open. Of course I only figured all this out afterwards; at the time, I just knew she needed me to do _something_, and tripping was the most logical thing I could think of. Just so happened, though, that someone else thought that was the perfect opportunity to slip something to me."

"Smith?" the Doctor guesses, holding his hand out for the sonic. Rose nods as she hands over the device and continues.

"He slipped the sonic into my pocket, and he's the one who explained to me how to take down the containment fields that were holding us all in our cells."

"Yes, but who is he?" the Doctor bursts out, running a hand through his hair distractedly which flairs out in random, disheveled peaks. "I know I've met him, I just can't place him! Did he say anything else?"

"Yeah, several things, actually; he said to tell you that angels brought him to you a long time ago, for starters. Any idea what that means?"

"Angels?" The Doctor's face grows hard and just a touch angry. "I've dealt with more angels than I care to, and I don't see how…" he stops himself, letting out a long slow breath. Rose has to admit she's a little impressed. She doesn't think she's ever seen the Doctor stop himself mid-rant before without outside interruption.

"What else did he say?"

She pulls River's handheld device from her pocket and hands it over to the Doctor. "He said if you want to find River, he's programmed a way into this for us to find her, but the thing he seemed keenest on me telling you was—"

"Wait, what do you mean 'if' we want to find River? Why wouldn't we? Rose, what happened while we were separated? Did…hang on, what's—" He cuts himself off for the second time in as many minutes and leans closer to Rose, staring hard at her leg before poking a finger at her thigh. "What is this?"

She glances down to see the white smear of plastic on her pants leg from where she wiped the security card clean. "That's part of what I was getting to, but Sgt. Smith said to tell you—"

"Rose, I don't give a damn about Sgt. Smith at the moment." The Doctor's tone is deceptively mild, but she can sense the restraint as he pronounces each word carefully and shortly. "What happened to River? I need you to tell me what happened, and I need you to tell me now." As he's speaking, he flicks open the sonic and scans the substance on her leg. He studies the results silently as he waits for her to speak, an unreadable look on his face.

A tiny bit unsettled at his sudden outburst, Rose starts in a quick summation from the moment the door to his cell closed until they arrived in the broom cupboard. The Doctor stays silent for the most part, staring at the floor in front of them, though she sees his face harden even more when she comes to the part with the eye-patch woman.

When Rose's story reaches their current location she pauses, hesitating at the look on his face before asking, "That woman, the one who…melted River. Sgt. Smith told me to tell you Madame Kovarian was involved. Is that…the eye-patch woman? The sergeant said you'd know who she was."

Several minutes tick by, but the Doctor doesn't answer. He continues to stare at the floor, face growing more tense and angry, his shoulders hunched, and Rose can feel a knot of dread growing in her stomach.

"Doctor? Now's usually the time where you ask a million questions or say you've got a brilliant plan or take off running with the rest of us doing our best to keep up and guess what you're going to do next. What…" She trails off into silence as the Doctor slowly turns his eyes to hers.

"The rest of you," he mutters quietly. She flinches at the venom in his voice as his volume grows. "That's just the thing, isn't it, Rose Tyler? There _are_ no 'rest of' you anymore, are there?"

His anger is palpable now, filling the small space, practically crackling through the air. "The universe has seen fit time and again to take you all away from me, one at a time or even in bunches. Oh, one or two of you will make it back, but in the end you all get yanked away from me again, don't you? And what, I ask you, _what do I get in return_? I've lost so many friends, and now two wives."

He's leaning forward now, almost rocking, both hands fisted tightly in his hair. Rose can almost hear his teeth grinding. Suddenly, he's on his feet, pacing the tiny space frantically, and Rose hopes once more that the room is something near to soundproof as his volume continues to rise.

"And now, now, this woman is _still_ bent on destroying me through the people in my life yet again." His back is to Rose now, so she can't see the expression on his face, though she can guess. "She should have learned her lesson the first two times she tried, Rose. She's used more chances than anyone deserves, and I can promise you now she's not getting another one."

He swings around suddenly once more, his face a hard, feral, grin that reminds Rose of nothing so much as the sinister beauty of a sunset just before a hurricane. Her insides shudder as she's reminded of a time long ago when she stood between that anger and the last remaining Dalek in the universe.

The silence that rings suddenly through the small room is just as intense as the threat behind his words. Rose's stomach twists anxiously once more, and despite the difference in his mood, she's reminded of the Doctor's look of reckless joy in the face of danger that unnerved her so much as they were being arrested.

"Doctor," she says, standing slowly and working to keep her voice calm, "I'm all for stopping the bad guys and thwarting their evil plans, but—" She stops short as he stares her without responding, simply watching. Though he doesn't say a word, she finds it rather difficult to continue speaking under the heat of that gaze. "Just…let's…be careful, yeah?" she finally finishes. "I don't want you to get hurt. Y'know, more than you already have." Her eyes flash to the black mark on his neck then away again.

"Yes, and I didn't want anyone else hurt, but as usual no one consults me, do they?" he snaps, raking his hands through his hair once more. He's rigid, almost shaking with tension, his breathing audible in the short distance between them. He glances at Rose, and the look on her face seems to finally reach something inside him because he takes a slow, deep breath and looks her right in the eyes before continuing.

"Rose, I don't expect you to understand, but Madame Kovarian is beyond…the things she's done …She's the worst kind of evil: she believes what she's doing is right, that she is a force of good. There's nothing more destructive than the force that believes it's doing the right thing no matter whom or what it destroys to do so. She kidnapped a pregnant woman, built an army to steal an innocent child, and molded that child into a psychopath whose sole purpose in life was to kill me. I don't have an ounce of mercy or caution left where that woman is concerned."

Some of his wrath now vented, he turns his attention to River's handheld computer where he immediately starts tapping away. Rose can make out slight tremors in his fingers as he works, though, and she knows his self-control is tenuous at best.

"Feel better now?"

Silence, then—

"A bit, yes, thank you."

"Doctor?"

"Hmm?"

Rose is hesitant, but she knows River would want her to say something. "Before she melted, River seemed to know what was going to happen. As soon as that woman…Kovarian pulled out the remote control thing, she grabbed me and said…well, you won't like it, but—"

"I'd imagine she said something to the effect of keeping me away from her at all costs."

Rose blinks. "Well, yes, actually, but how did you—"

"River was the baby Kovarian raised to kill me. Apparently at some point they stole her again and replaced her with living plastic, just as they did to Amy. That's what you saw melt, by the way, not the real River."

"Living plastic? What, y'mean like the Nestene Consciousness?"

"Something like, but far more sophisticated. The Nestene duplicates were more like what Rory was in his Roman days, but that's less related to the situation we're in. Oh, I am such an idiot!" His outburst is less of a surprise this time, though it's enough to make Rose jump a little.

"I've been so wrapped up in myself these last few weeks, they could've done it at any time! They just swooped in and took her from me _again_, and I was so…distracted that I didn't even realize it wasn't River. The same trick how many times now?! She's here, though, our Sgt. Smith said so. We can find her, and we'll probably need her to set things to rights here and finish off Kovarian for good."

Rose can barely keep up with his swift subject changes, but she manages to catch one key aspect. "Doctor, you just told me River's been trained to kill you, and now you say we need to go after her? She didn't seem terribly keen to off you earlier, but that was before she warned me to keep you away. What if she—"

The Doctor waves his hand, cutting her off. "Doesn't matter. She's tried to kill me a few times before, and she's never yet succeeded. Probably for the best, but there you have it. She's my wife, she's the last link I have to…to the Ponds, I'm not going to lose her as well."

"Y'know, River told me you two didn't exactly have the most traditional of relationships, but still." Rose stares at him a moment, thrown by his cavalier attitude about River's previous homicidal activities; then a sudden thought occurs to her. "So you're telling me all I needed to do all those years ago to win you over was try to kill you? Is that how you sweep Time Lords off their feet, then? Not the weirdest turn-on I've heard of, but I won't lie, it definitely makes the list."

The Doctor grins at her, most of the manic light gone from his eyes now. "There's always time to try it out later. Now, we need to figure out exactly what we have, what we know, and where to move next. C'mon, Rose Tyler, put that brilliant brain into action and help me figure out a plan."

Twenty minutes later, the Doctor has explained the schematics and directions Sgt. Smith managed to upload to River's handheld, and they've compiled a large pile of items from both their pockets, not the strangest of which includes River's vortex manipulator, half of the Doctor's previous sonic screwdriver, several pieces of electronics the Rose vaguely recognizes from her Torchwood days, three pieces of varying lengths of rope, toy lantern that is currently providing light so the sonic can take a rest, and TARDIS-blue friction car.

"I just don't see why can't storm the place and take her," the Doctor says for the third time as he begins stuffing items back in his pockets. "They're afraid of me, and it worked last time."

"Yeah, it worked last time because they weren't expecting you, and you literally had armies on your side. Today, it's you, me, a psychopath who may or may not be on our side and is out of reach at the moment anyway, and one military man who technically works for the enemy and won't even tell you his real name. I just think we need to figure out a way to get around here unnoticed, that's all. It won't be too much longer before they notice we've gone; Sgt. Smith only promised me a short time window, and I'm sure most of that is gone by now. Kovarian said she'd be back to question me, and judging by her level of annoyance at not knowing who I am, I'd say we don't have too much longer. Say, come to think of it, how did you not know she was involved? Isn't she the one who…questioned you and…" Rose trails off, indicating the black mark along his neck that's just beginning to fade.

"Wasn't her, it was some subordinates. She must've been watching from somewhere. I hate to admit it, but I think you're right; we need an unobtrusive way around this place. If we only had a perception filter or something!"

"River said there was one in the hallway upstairs, that's why it looked so 'never-ending' and all. Fat lot of good it does us up there, though," Rose remarks as she leans back. She glances down as she rests her elbow on an extra crate, her eyes flicking over the writing before returning to the Doctor.

Then she does a double-take.

"Oh, we are thick, the two of us, I swear. I said it not thirty minutes ago, out loud and everything!" She stands and whirls around, grabbing the crate and pulling it into the middle of the room. "Look."

The Doctor does as he's told, and an excited smile slowly spread over his face. "Only you. Only, you, Rose Tyler, could find the answer!"

"Well, what are you waiting for, Doctor?" she grins. "We've got a wife to rescue, a planet to un-inhabit, and a genuine wicked step-mother to stop! Suit up!"

_Author's Note: Thanks so much to everyone who has read and left support and comments so far. I appreciate you taking the time and keeping up with the story. If you have any questions, ideas, or concerns, please feel free to let me know. I've been trying to keep the story as mistake-free as possible, though I know a few slip through the cracks. I tried to address a couple of things I was concerned about in this chapter, so I hope I tied those ends up nicely. As usual, if you've made it this far, please take a moment to leave a little something in the review box on your way out._


	16. Chapter 16

"It doesn't fit."

"Well," Rose reasons as she buttons up her new uniform jacket, "you _could_ take the safari jacket off first. I'd tell you to go another size up, but we've run out of uniforms in here. Besides, you'd look ridiculous, all puffy and poked out in strange places."

The Doctor grumbles but finally sheds his beloved safari jacket and button-up shirt in favor of the military uniforms Rose discovered earlier. Though he finally commits to the full outfit of trousers, shirt, boots, cap, and jacket, Rose catches him occasionally casting longing glances at his discarded pile of safari clothing.

"Won't the TARDIS just have new ones for you?" she asks. "That's what she did that one time you came back and your suit was in tatters from all that acid. Y'know, before that, I used to think you were like Superman or something, how just because he was indestructible his outfit was as well."

"Well, yes, for the most part the TARIDs can do that, but it's beside the point. I _like_ that outfit, and it seems like every time I find a cool, new outfit or hat or something that I like, it either gets taken away, destroyed, or left behind. Just once I'd like to finish an adventure wearing something particularly cool. Well, besides my bow tie, which I suppose I can't wear with this, either." He tucks the bow tie into his inner jacket pocket then quickly begins transferring the contents of his coat pockets into his new outfit only to stop in the midst of shoveling things with a dismayed look on his face.

"What is it?" Rose asks, lacing up her new combat boots.

"Well, my old pockets were all bigger on the inside…I can't possibly fit all my things in these puny, _normal_ pockets." Rose isn't sure she's ever heard so much disdain packed into the word "normal" before.

"So leave some things behind."

"But what if we need something I leave?" His distress is genuine, and Rose takes a moment to marvel over this vast mood change from earlier. She shakes her head, clearing her thoughts before suggesting, "So cut a pocket or two from your other jacket and use them to line your new pockets. The outside of the safari pockets are smaller than the uniform pockets; you should be fine."

From his expression, Rose thinks Christmas might've come early. He grabs her shoulders, planting a searing kiss on her shocked lips before whirling away to set about his new task. Rose stands frozen and a little breathless for a few moments before picking up River's handheld and studying the plans once more.

"So, straightforward is the basic plan. You've got your psychic paper, I've got my security card and code to get us into rooms, River's gun is in my holster—"

"And her handheld is going in my new Time Lord-enhanced, bigger-on-the-inside pockets provided courtesy of the lovely and brilliant Rose Tyler," the Doctor finishes, holding out his hand.

"You're sure you can remember the way?" Rose asks, reluctantly handing over the device. "I know I won't be able to."

"We can always pull the directions back out if we need to. I just don't think we should necessarily be walking about waving confiscated property around," the Doctor points out as he stows the handheld. "You did say low profile."

"Right enough. Alright, then, sonic?"

The Doctor pats his chest pocket. "Check."

"Stolen enemy uniforms?"

The Doctor finishes buttoning his jacket and tugs it into place. "Check."

"Everything else you wanted to carry with you?"

The Doctor finishes a last dig through his other jacket's pockets. "Check."

"I'm going by Corporal Santos, as that's on the card I have. Lucky they don't use photo IDs here. Have you picked your alias yet, Doctor?"

"Well, since I can't use Doctor, Smith is taken, and you _will_ keep telling me I can't use Sgt. Pepper, I guess I'll have to go with Major Tom."

"Are you sure?" Rose asks. "That's really almost as obvious as Sgt. Pepper."

"Yes, and that's you assuming that David Bowie and Peter Schilling are more prevalent in this part of the universe at this point in your future than the convenience of simple, short surnames." He straightens his jacket one last time and squares his shoulders. "Here we go, off to save the world again. Ready, Shiver?"

"Let's hit it, Shake."

Despite a rather confident start, however, fifteen minutes of turns, twists, and general wandering yields no signs of anything River-related. In fact, their wandering yields nothing more than wide, empty service tunnels, pipes and lights running along the ceiling, and more walking.

"I think we should've followed those signs a few turns back, the ones that actually pointed somewhere," Rose comments. "We should probably check the map; it's not like there's anyone around to see the computer."

The Doctor frowns, glancing around them, but Rose knows there's nothing to see but more tunnel. "This place is massive! What's the point? What do they need all this space for? I've known rats who less confused by laboratory mazes!"

"What, like personally known them?" Rose is momentarily distracted by the thought of the Doctor and a giant rat running on a wheel together. She almost giggles but catches herself just in time; wouldn't help the situation.

"Well, of course personally. You can't really know anyone, otherwise, although then you get into the whole existential argument of "Can you really ever know anyone," but that's not the point! We've got to find River, we're failing miserably, and yes, you're right, we should check the stupid computer now. Sorry."

He sighs in temporary defeat as he brings out the handheld and pulls up the map of the tunnels that Smith uploaded. Rose moves closer, standing next to his elbow and forcing herself to ignore the familiar, wonderful feeling of being pressed so closely to his side. They both study the diagrams silently as the Doctor switches between them.

"Doctor…"

"Hmm…"

"I think you've lead us two screens out of the way. That there, that's the three way split we passed a little ways back. We should probably go back and—hang on. What's that? That wasn't there a second ago."

A blue dot has begun flashing in the upper-left corner of the screen, and Rose taps it with a finger. Immediately the screen flashes and wipes itself, and then text appears.

"You seem to have gone a bit out of your way," the Doctor reads aloud. "Keep moving forward and take the next two lefts. It's a bit of a walk, but the route is easy enough. After the second left, go on for about ten minutes or so. Someone will meet you there; you should recognize him, he's a mutual friend. Careful of patrols; I'll try to be in touch. –Smith."

"Sgt. Smith did say he'd try to watch and help if he could. It's good he can keep track of us in case we need help, but—"

"Bad because it means someone else could be watching, as well," the Doctor finishes. "And what that says about the technology in this place. I don't think it's simple cameras, as I haven't seen any of those. Let's just hope our disguises hold up for long enough." He switches off the screen and pockets the computer.

"Off we go again, then."

Rose is silent for a couple of minutes, thinking about Smith's words. "Doctor, who do you think the mutual friend is? Can you think of anyone you know who could be all the way out here?"

"It annoys me to no end to admit it, but I really can't think of anyone. I've dealt with several people when it came to…well, angels, but most of them were on Earth in the past, and most of them are dead now. I mean, there was that one time with the Byzantium, but all of the clergy that went with us either died or were consumed by those cracks in time and space. At least, they were before I rebooted the universe. I don't know where they might've ended up in this version, though I doubt they'd what happened. The only other people there were Amy and River. And I've dealt with the angels more recently, but that was on Earth in the past again, and those people all got zapped somewhere even further in the past."

He's quiet for a few minutes after that, and Rose doesn't push him. They continue walking through the twisting tunnels, coming to a fork and making the first left as instructed. After another short, silent interlude Rose asks, "Can you think of any other angels you might've encountered besides the Weeping Angels? I can't remember everything from the book, as it covers quite a bit of ground, but I suppose it could've happened since you and the….since you split on the Crucible."

"I just can't think of anything right now. I know that I know Smith, but I can't put the pieces together, and I hate it when I can't remember something." He lets out a long breath and shakes his head before glancing at the wall. "There's one of your signs you mentioned. We're likely to be coming up on people sometime soon."

Rose checks the clearance of the gun in her holster without thinking about it. Squaring her shoulders, she straightens the cap on her head, setting her face in the serious, purposeful expression she adopted during her years of Torchwood that taught so many of the workers there to leave her to her own purposes and not interfere with whatever she was working on.

The Doctor glances at her from the corner of his eye, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Dame Rose Tyler, Torchwood operative and Defender of multiple universes…"

"With the help of my trusty sidekick, Sir Doctor of TARDIS. And that's retired Director of Torchwood to you, civilian. I took over after my dad—Pete finally got used to me calling him that, by the way, took him ages—after my dad retired."

There's another quiet pause as the Doctor lets this information soak in. Rose realizes just how little they know of each other's lives since they separated nearly two lifetimes ago. There's still a bit of walk ahead of them as they haven't reached the second left yet, so Rose decides to open up a little.

"After I returned with…the Doctor, I kept working at Torchwood, and after a sort of adjustment period, the Doctor joined me there. After a few more years, Dad decided he wanted more time at home with Mum and Tony, so he did a sort of partial retirement, coming in to consult on projects ever now and then, and obviously he came in for crisis situations, but for the most part he left the running of the place to me."

She grins fondly at the old memory, remembering the surprise she'd felt. "I didn't see it coming, I won't lie. I thought he'd leave the place to the Doctor, y'see, but he took me aside and told me there'd never been another choice as far as he was concerned. The Doctor wasn't surprised at all, and he said he'd never liked the running of big places anyway. Gave him more time to run around working on his daft experiments."

"Quite right, too," the Doctor replies, a small, sad smile tilting up the corners of his mouth.

"Went quite well for years, defending the Earth and all. And considering I wasn't aging an' all, Torchwood was the perfect place to work. No one questions the boss who is literally from another dimension and is shacking up with the Alien Genius in Residence. When the Doctor started getting ill, though, I passed the…er…torch on to my assistant director. I'd been one of the longest directors in our Torchwood's history at that point, so I didn't mind taking some time off. The Doctor kicked up a fuss, of course, but I knew he was glad of the extra time with me." Apparently nearly forty-four years is not quite enough time to blot out the pain of losing someone you spent a lifetime with. She clears her throat, a trick she learned to help stop her from crying when she didn't want to.

The Doctor politely allows her a few moments to compose herself before asking, "Y'know, I've been wondering. Torchwood in this universe was started partially because of us, that whole thing with the werewolf and Queen Victoria. Is that how it went in your universe, as well?"

"Funny story, actually," Rose answers as they approach the second junction. They turn left and continue walking. "There never was a parallel you in the other universe, for whatever reason. Our Torchwood was actually much older than yours, dated all the way back to the Great Fire of London in 1666. Apparently a group of aliens showed up, wanting to help by curing the plague that was going on at the time, but their lab somehow exploded and accidentally started the fire. The king found out about the aliens, actually believed what happened, and founded Torchwood within the month."

"The fire still happened?" The Doctor asks in amazement. "Even without me? Y'know, I thought for the longest that it—"

"Heads up, we've got company," Rose murmurs. They've just turned a corner, and Rose spots the first people she's seen since Sgt. Smith left her alone. She schools her expression into cool, professional detachment, hoping very hard that the Doctor does the same. The hallway is large enough that she and the Doctor continue walking without having to make much room for the two-person wide, six-man patrol that marches by.

Rose notes that their weapons are still in holsters rather than at half-ready, which she'd expect if the base were under some sort of alert. She hopes fervently that something has distracted Madame Kovarian from her questioning long enough to at least let them get to River before their absence is discovered.

The patrol passes without so much as a wary glance in their direction. Rose breathes an internal sigh of relief as they continue walking. Two minutes later, they both stop simultaneously and glance at each other.

"Five minutes," Rose mutters. "Where d'you suppose our mutual friend is?"

The Doctor scans their surroundings as a small crowd of chattering people in lab coats bustle past them. They've stopped next to a door, but other than that and the rapidly receding murmur of the passing group, there's nothing and no one else around.

"Want to risk a peek at the handheld in case Smith messaged us again? Maybe our friend got held up somewhere." Rose keeps her eyes moving, constantly scanning the hallways and listening for approaching personnel.

"I suppose we should," the Doctor mutters, beginning to dig through his pockets.

With the Doctor so engrossed in searching his pockets and Rose intent on searching the hallway, neither see the door swing silently inward to open directly behind the Doctor, nor do they notice the pair of arms reaching stealthily outwards.

Both, however, notice when a pair of hands clamps down on the Doctor's shoulders, jerking the Time Lord swiftly into the waiting darkness before he has time to so much as yell in surprise. Rose has her gun drawn in under a second and advances on the door with speed born from years of training.

She nudges the door open a little wider with her right foot, squinting to see in the darkness. As her eyes adjust, she blinks in shock at the scene unfolding in front of her.

"What…I'm sorry, what?!"

_Author's Note: A lovely cliffhanger to leave you all on. Who's hands could they possibly be? Who the heck is Smith?! You'll definitely find out one or both of those in the next chapter, so stay excited!_

_On a curious note from my end, I was wondering if I've gone somewhere with the story that is displeasing folks. All I have to go on is the responses that I get from people, and while I have nearly 260 followers, only 9 took the time to let me know what they thought. To angeleyenc, CharmedMilliE, Bad Wolf and Timelords, Pig-Rabbit-Suk, SittingOnTheEdgeOfTheUnivers e, Ninjee, Eyrion, SometimesLifeHappens, and DeDe324, thanks so very much for your lovely reviews. _

_To everyone who has reviewed at all so far, thank you so much for taking the time, I really appreciate it. Remember, if I've gone in a strange direction, or I'm doing something out of character or just plain bad, I won't know unless you tell me. If you've made it this far, as always, thanks so much for reading. Please take a moment to leave a little something in the Review box on your way out._


	17. Chapter 17

Rose lowers her arms slowly, unaware she's even moved them until the gun is hanging by her side. The corner of her mouth twitches upwards.

"Um...Jack, I don't think the Doctor's enjoying that kiss quite as much as you are," she says, her tongue poking between her teeth.

Captain Jack Harkness breaks away from the rather exuberant kiss he's currently planting on the flailing, panicked Doctor, and Rose just manages to holster the squarness gun before he sweeps her into a smothering embrace, kissing her for all she's worth.

Though he's spluttering and clearly offended, the Doctor still remembers to reach past Jack and Rose, swiftly shoving the door shut before they can be observed from the hallway. "And here we are, back in another closet. Brilliant," he mutters grumpily.

Jack finally releases Rose with an audible smacking of lips, and the dim light in the little room glints off his perfect smile. "Heard you two had some problems following directions the first time they were given, so I cleared a little time on my schedule to drop in and lend a hand."

"What, you're the mutual friend?" the Doctor asks, his jaw dropping in astonishment. "But…I mean, you know Martha and Mickey and…well, everyone who was on the Crucible with us, but Smith obviously isn't one of them, and anyway, there weren't any angels there. How do you know Smith? How do _I_ know him, for that matter?"

Before you can say, "There's a time and a place," Jack's smile turns from beaming to impish, and Rose wonders how long it's going to be before the Doctor tells Jack to behave. This regeneration seems a bit more prudish than his predecessors, and Rose is betting it won't be too long.

"He's calling himself Smith here, huh? Well, I guess he just didn't want people to be able to associate the two of you. But you of all people should know who Smith is, Doctor. You introduced us." He pauses then adds as an afterthought, "Well…sorta."

"I did…what? Hang on. Wait a minute, no…But…he said angels. You? How…" The Doctor is pacing and agitatedly tapping the sides of his head as if he can knock the memories out. Just as Rose starts to worry that his head might start smoking from the effort, the Doctor whirls suddenly, a look of incredulous wonder on his face.

"Oh, how could I be so stupid?! He never said Weeping Angels! The note at the bar! It's Midshipman Frame! But…why…how did he even get here, get involved in all of this?"

"That's Major Frame now," Jack replies. "That's how he was able to order me here, actually; he technically outranks me, so I like to let him think I have to obey his orders." He tosses a wink at Rose, who smothers an almost irresistible urge to giggle. "Makes for some interesting odd date night here and there, Rosie, I can tell you that."

"But, seriously, why are you here? How are you involved in this, and why won't anyone give me a straight answer?!" the Doctor bursts in, clearly beginning to lose patience.

"Alonso contacted me recently, said he'd been monitoring a situation that involved you, or it would involve you at some point. He asked me to be ready to hop over and help, just in case, so here I am."

Jack glances at the cuff on his wrist for a moment before tapping something into manipulator and snapping the cover closed. He pulls his sleeve down, and Rose notices for the first time that he's dressed identically to them, down to the military cap perched jauntily on his head.

"I'm on borrowed time; Frame called at a rather inconvenient moment, but I can at least get you to the professor. By the way, Doc, heard you got hitched. How's that working out for you?"

"My wife's been kidnapped by the same person who destroyed her childhood as well as melted her, I've been fooled by the same stupid trick I've fallen for _three_ times now, I've been tortured, this is the second closet Rose and I have been shut up in today, and…and I can still taste you!" The Doctor wipes his tongue repeatedly on his sleeve, glowering pointedly at Jack.

"So you're saying things could be a lot worse," Jack says, sneaking a peek at Rose. Her face is turning pink from the effort of holding back her laughter.

"I've got a question, though, Jack," she cuts in, seeing the Doctor open his mouth to retort. "How'd you know he's the Doctor? You haven't met this regeneration?"

"A better question for you, Rosie, would be how do you know I haven't?" Jack replies, fixing her with what is unmistakably a wounded look. "And I suppose the answer would be that you've been keeping tabs on me but never bothered to actually come and visit for those forty or so years you hung around waiting for Doc here to show up."

"I couldn't risk it, Jack," she says with a small smile. "Too many intersecting times lines, too much at risk. I wanted to, though, and I'll be happy to be lectured about it later along with hearing all about how you knew I was back and also didn't drop in for a visit, but now we need to move. What's the plan?" She looks from Jack to this Doctor, and the two men gaze expectantly at each other for a long moment, obviously waiting for the other to go first.

"Well, Doc?"

"What, me?" the Doctor asks in a petulant, impatient tone. "You're the one who was sent to help us, so help already. What do you know about this place and what's going on here?"

Jack's forehead wrinkles as he frowns pensively. "I know the floor plans pretty well; Alonso sent those to me first thing, but mostly I know what I've already told you. This group has been recruiting quietly but heavily across the galaxy, talking to scientists and soldiers who are known to give their loyalty to the highest bidder no matter the cause. I think they would have tried recruiting your known enemies or folks who fear you, like the Daleks and some of the Slitheen, but apparently a large chunk of the universe suddenly went and forgot all about you."

"Can't imagine how that happened," the Doctor mutters, smiling just a bit.

"At any rate, I've got clearance to get us into where Frame says Prof. Song is being held, and unlike you two, I can actually follow a set of directions. I know where we're going, so if you're ready, let's head out."

Jack leads the way back out of the tiny room and the trio set off down the hallway. Rose finds herself walking next to Jack, and looks up to find him assessing her out of the corner of his eye.

"I really did want to see you," Rose says softly. "Not just because it was bloody lonely waiting around like that, but I missed you. I was just afraid I'd mess up…well, everything."

"I know, Rosie. Not mad at you, I promise. Actually, it's kind of nice having the old team back together again. Been losing too many people the last few years, and it's nice to be having a reunion instead of a memorial. By the way, how did you get back over here? Last I heard, you had your own metacrisis to deal with in another dimension."

"Very long story for a very long night with a lot of drinking," Rose replies softly as another group of scientists pass by. "And by the way, Jack, what's with all the science types running around? Why did they recruit so many of them?"

"No idea, but Alonso's on it. He got word through some of his connections that there was some sort of huge, extremely secretive project going on that had to do with the Doctor, like I said. He's spent months infiltrating this place and working his way into the ranks, posing as an enlisted soldier, but they're so secretive, they don't even tell most of their own military what's going on."

Rose shares a significant glance with the Doctor as her mind races through the information Jack's just shared. "So we have a planet that shouldn't be inhabited but is, an army that shouldn't exist but does, a woman who shouldn't be alive but obviously very much is, and a secret plan no one can figure out. And all to do with you, Doctor. Other than sounding like a typical day with Team TARDIS, it's a complete mystery to me. Any ideas?"

"None very likely at the moment," the Doctor sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose as they continue down the corridor. He's quiet as another six-man patrol passes them then continues, "Once we get to River, we're just going to have to dig a little deeper, I suppose."

"Assuming no one realizes we're missing and sends the troops after us," Rose replies.

The moment the words leave her mouth, red lights begin flaring in the hall, and an urgent, blaring siren begins wailing. Both men send exasperated looks in Rose's direction.

"I know," she groans over the noise. "Don't even say it, I know it was stupid! At least we can run without drawing attention now. Move!"

They take off down the hallway at a quick, controlled jog. Rose falls back a little, letting Jack take the lead. Before they've gotten too far, however, the stark whiteness of the walls is replaced by images, pictures blown up at least ten times their actual size.

Pictures of Rose and the Doctor's faces.

"When did they even take those," Rose calls, not slowing down. "I never saw a camera, and I swear I don't remember you making that face."

"There's no telling; if they can conceal projectors in the walls of this place, the cameras could be anywhere. Let's just hope they don't bug the storage closets," Jack replies.

Whatever alarms have been triggered, however, no one seems to have figured Rose and the Doctor could have penetrated so deeply into the heart of the base. None of the patrols that hurry down the corridor them give them more than a passing glance.

"How much longer, Captain?" Rose asks. She's fine with running for her life (short sprints, really), but they've been going at a good pace for some time now, and she can feel her stamina begin to waver.

Also, the sirens are getting more than a little annoying.

"Couple more turns, just ahead."

They finally arrive in a less populated area that is distinguishable from the other corridors only by the "Restricted Access – Level 4 Clearance" sign pasted across the door. Jack pulls an ID card from its clip on his belt and swipes it through the access pad, punching in a quick series of numbers. As he returns the card to his belt, Rose catches sight of the name printed on his ID.

"No alias for you, then, Jack?" She grins at his arrogance and is rewarded with a wry smile in return.

"Not another one, at any rate. Here we go." Jack pulls open the door and ushers Rose and the Doctor through in front of him.

Once inside and over the relief of shutting out the sirens and flashing lights, Rose does her best to take in as much of the room in a couple of quick, sweeping looks as possible. One of the most obvious signs that one doesn't belong somewhere is the tendency to gawk and stare around as if you have no idea what you're doing.

She finds the room well-lit and rather sterile looking, obviously a lab of some sort. The space is large, open, and full of tables strewn with technical bits that even after years of working at Torchwood Rose would never be able to identify. Along the far wall, there are three long, white tubes of some sort, and in front of the tubes are three armed soldiers standing guard.

The Doctor tenses when he spots the tubes, though Rose can't imagine why. His hands are clenched by his sides, and his jaw tightens. Rose wants to say something, but, though there's no one else in the large room, she's afraid the soldiers will overhear, and she hesitates just a second too long.

"Doctor," Rose hisses under her breath in warning, but she's too late, and he's already striding towards the men. Jack sighs, sharing a look with Rose, and quickly catches up with the incensed Time Lord.

"Let me do the talking," he mutters. He cuts off the Doctor's heated reply with a sharp look. "I know how security works in this place. I outrank these soldiers, and they'll listen to me. Not to mention you're just a tad bit overly emotional right now, and that never turns out well for any of us."

He turns away from the Doctor, shutting down the conversation before it can become something more than a set of orders, and the genial smile on his face is replaced by a look of stern authority that Rose has never seen him wear before. He looks older and tired but absolutely in charge. On nothing his approach, the soldiers snap to sharp attention and salute the Captain.

He eyes them coldly and silently, letting them stand in the uncomfortable position without returning their salute for long enough that Rose can see a slight spark of trepidation run through them.

He finally returns a crisp salute, and the soldiers drop back to attention with no little relief. "At ease, soldiers. I've brought the relief watch, and you're to report to the upper holding cells to assist in the reacquisition of the escaped prisoners."

Whatever the guards were expecting him to say, this obviously isn't it. They stare at each other apprehensively, none of them brave enough to contradict an officer. Finally, the soldier in the middle takes a step forward.

"Sir, we were given orders to—"

"Who issued those orders to you, soldier?" Jack snaps. Rose notices he's keeping them uneasy and off balance, thus less likely to pay attention to details. She appreciates the tactic, having used it a few times herself on troublesome employees, but she keeps her expression schooled into a look of cool, detached discipline with her face lowered so the soldiers can't get a good look and suddenly recognize her picture in the hallway. She hopes very hard the Doctor is doing something similar.

Or, at least, minimally drastic and irrational.

"S…Sergeant Kon, sir. We were told to—"

"What's your name, soldier?"

Again, the soldier is taken by surprise at the barked question and fumbles for his answer.

"Uh…oh! Lig, sir! Private Lig, 35th Company of—"

"Well, Lig, since when does this company allow the orders of a Sergeant to outrank the orders of a Captain?" Though she knows Jack is acting, Rose does not envy the soldier's position of standing directly in the path of the glare Jack is leveling at him.

"Th…It…It doesn't, sir!"

"Then you and your men get your asses up top now! MOVE!" The last word is shouted right in the trembling soldier's face, and he and the other soldiers shoulder their weapons and head for the door so quickly Rose barely catches the hasty, "Yes, sir!" that's thrown back over their shoulders.

The door has barely shut before the Doctor is already seizing a handle on top of the first tube and wrenching a hatch open to stare inside. He growls in frustration, whirling to the next tube and repeating the action. Before Rose can move to help him, the Doctor vaults over one of the tubes and rips open the last remaining hatch. He stares silently into the tube long enough for Rose to become worried. She turns to look at Jack, which raises his eyebrows and shrugs, obviously at a loss. She turns back to the Doctor and takes a few hesitant steps towards him.

"Doctor? Is she…is River—"

Before she can finish her sentence, he seizes the bottom edge of the tube and heaves it over with an enraged roar unlike any noise she's ever heard the Doctor make in all her time with him. The pod crashes to the floor, pieces breaking off and skittering in every direction. Jack reaches for Rose's arm to hold her back, but she shakes him off and reaches the Doctor as he's turning to the other empty pods.

"Doctor, I—"

"You what, Rose Tyler? _What?!_ What should we do now? This was our best chance at finding River, and _SHE'S NOT HERE!_ Where's your brilliant plan, your perfect answer you always manage to think of?! You can't fix this, Rose, no one can! Not me, not Jack, and not you!"

Though she's stung by his sudden outburst she tries not to take his words as personally as they feel and reaches for him. "But surely we could—"

He seizes her by the shoulders and looks her straight in the eyes. She blanches at the absolute hopelessness she sees there. Tears stream down his reddened face as he says in a sudden shocking calmness, "Don't you see, Rose? They've won. We've lost. They've caught me, they've taken River, and I can't even imagine what they'll do to you when they find out who and what you are."

She grips his arms in return, squeezing hard and keeping her voice low and steady. "I don't honestly care what they do to me right now, Doctor. You're not giving up. That's really all there is to it."

But he shakes his head, already pulling back and turning away from her. "I'm tired, Rose. I'm done. I shouldn't have come here in the first place, shouldn't have left the TARDIS. I can't..I just can't anymore."

But Rose is having none of it. "Doctor, look at me."

She pulls her fist back and lands it with a resounding crack on the side of the Doctor's jaw just as he starts to turn back, and he staggers sideways almost comically, clutching his jaw with both hands.

"What was that for?" the Doctor cries, barely keeping upright. "At least Jackie only ever slapped me! Blimey, you might've knocked a tooth loose, Rose!"

"_You_ do _not_ give up, do you understand me? I have been through too much with you, been through too much to get back to you to have you say 'Woe is me, I'm tired and sad!' then just lay down and roll over!"

"You don't understand," he says, his face turning grim. "Outliving everyone, losing the people who mean the most, always getting left behind…" He trails off as a look of dawning realization spreads over his face. He looks from Rose to Jack and back again, eyes wide, his expression something near horrified. "Oh, Rose, Jack, I didn't mean...I hadn't thought...I'm so…"

But she's still having none of it. "I get it, you're sorry. Yeah, I've heard that one before. That's great. I accept your apology, though I expect a better one later. Now, _what are we going to do_?"

The Doctor shakes his head once, cracks his jaw a little to one side then stretches his mouth a bit, testing its mobility. "Blimey, you've got a right hook on you now. Glad you never gave lessons to your mum."

Jack sighs and says, "I _am_ on a limited time here, Doc. If you still want my help, you might want to wrap up the whining and get to the planning."

Just as the Doctor turns to Jack, no doubt to deliver a cutting retort, a spasm seems to shudder through the Time Lord, and he clutches at the side of his head. Another seizure rips through his body, throwing him down on one knee. Simultaneously, a jagged pain tears through the center of Rose's head, and she gasps, clenching her teeth and squeezing her eyes shut.

"What is it? What's wrong with you two? Rose?" She can't see Jack, but she feels his arms around her, guiding her down to a sitting position on the floor. "What's happening? Did they do something to you two upstairs?"

"No," Rose manages to wheeze through the pain. "No, it's not us…it's…they've…"

"It's the TARDIS," the Doctor moans, clutching his head between his hands. "They've…taken…her, and they're…tearing her apart from the inside out! She can't…_Gahh_!" He collapses sideways with a horrible cry, his hands fisted tightly in his hair.

"Why…does it hurt?" Rose asks. "Why's this happening?"

"Connection," gasps the Doctor. "She's…sending this…pain to us…distress call."

"What do you want me to do?" Jack asks helplessly.

"Frame…ask Alonso…where TARDIS is," the Doctor lets out a strangled moan and rolls over. Rose turns to him, clutching her head with one hand and reaching out with the other. "Doctor, I don't…understand…why…"

Another bolt of pain shoots through her head, and suddenly Jack and the Doctor both sound very far away. Her fingertips brush the Doctor's hand, and then the dark relief of unconsciousness envelops her.

_Author's Note: Well, aren't I just a melodramatic stinker? Please take a moment to leave a word or three in the review box on your way out. You are all awesome, and thanks so much for sticking with me so far._


	18. Chapter 18

_Author's Note: Two people in two separate reviews made some interesting comments about Rose that I really appreciated. One of you, we talked a bit, and you gave me some very useful and helpful advice. The other left a guest review that was both lovely and gave very effective advice. Thanks to both of you, _**Guest**_ and _**fishesandchips**_. At the same time, I'd also like to say that, as I've had a lot of time pass for Rose, I feel like she would have grown up and matured. While some things never change, I feel that Rose is not necessarily the same person she was during her adventures with Nine and Ten. You can see that when she returns for The Stolen Planet and Journey's End; the Rose Tyler in those episodes is bit of a far cry from the Rose Tyler we knew in Series 1 and 2. That said, I was still given some excellent advice and plan to put it to good use. Here's hoping it goes over well with you guys._

…

"Rosie…Rosie, come on, honey, wake up. Time to wake up."

Rose feels gentle fingers tapping her cheek from what feels like miles away.

"Alarm hasn't gone off, mum, ten more minutes."

"Rose, if you can argue with Jackie, you're definitely well enough to wake up." This time the fingers are different, feel much more familiar and coaxing, and the insistence in the voice pulls her closer. Struggling through layers of darkness and fog, Rose pulls herself back into consciousness with a wrench and a groan.

"No more pints with Shareen, don't care how bad her heart's broken this time," she mumbles, clutching her head. The light is far too bright, and she winces against the glare. Seriously, did the lights get brighter while she was unconscious?

Finally the room clarifies into something resembling focus. Jack and the Doctor are crouched on either side of her, both looking concerned, though she notices a bit of strain behind the Doctor's eyes.

"Are we sure Cassandra hasn't been tramping around in my head again?" Rose groans.

"Your pain should be lessening now," the Doctor murmurs. He takes her face gently between his hands, examining her from about an inch away. "I used some of the spare parts around here to cobble together a sort of psychic dampener. I don't like to shut the old girl out, but we can't help her if we're incapacitated with excruciating pain."

The pain begins to rapidly fade, though Rose isn't sure if it's from the psychic dampener or from the lovely warmth that's spreading over her face from where the Doctor's fingers are touching. Her eyes meet the Doctor's a moment, and that spark is there, the one he always used to deny, the one that passed between them in the TARDIS right before he kissed her. The Doctor stares at her intently for a long moment before abruptly clearing his throat and standing.

She's startled by his abrupt movement but elects not to say anything; she's still out of sorts and is probably just imagining the sudden change in the tension that's always been between them. There's a residual ache, but she's feeling marginally better with every passing moment, and she accepts a hand up from the Doctor and Jack.

She notices the Doctor's fingers lingering on hers for a few moments longer than Jack's, but when she turns to look at him, he only meets her eyes for a second before turning hastily away.

She stares at the back of his head, thoroughly confused, but she can't think how to address a problem she can't even identify just now. She instead goes with a different line of questioning.

"So the TARDIS has been taken, and we still haven't found River. Two damsels in distress to rescue now, eh?"

Jack starts to answer, but the Doctor cuts him off. "Oh, don't let River hear you call her that," the Doctor tosses over his shoulder. He moves swiftly (if a bit awkwardly) over to one of the lab tables, grabbing pieces of electronics seemingly at random and hauling them over to what is clearly his chosen tinkering area.

"She's quite capable, River is; these are just some rather extenuating circumstances. But don't ever think of her as helpless, no. I'd hate to be in the shoes of the person who did that to her face. Blimey…but, honestly, I'd really hate to be in anyone else's shoes in the first place, terribly uncomfortable, hate to repeat that particular adventure."

Rose sends a confused look in Jack's direction, and he shrugs helplessly. Even for the Doctor, this is a rather random outburst. Rose clamps down on the acidic, irrational flare of bitterness that washes through her stomach at his sudden defense of River's virtues, and she ignores the brief vision of a long-dead French woman that dances suddenly through her mind.

She clears her throat to change the subject (never mind that it's also a hand trick she learned during her directorial days at Torchwood to help keep herself from crying; that's _not at_ _all_ relevant just now).

"So…how long was I out? Do we know what's happening to the TARDIS or where she is? Any news about River's location?"

The Doctor doesn't answer, instead pretending deafness as he busily disassembles chunks of machinery, laying some bits to the side and simply tossing other pieces over his shoulder. He's also very obviously and very painfully avoiding looking anywhere near Rose. She stares at him silently, eyebrows knitted together, before turning away.

"Jack?"

He glares at the Doctor a moment before sighing and turning to Rose. "You were only out for about ten minutes or so. The Doc managed to put together whatever it is he made to blot out the signal from the TARDIS, and you started coming around not long after. I was about to contact Alonso when you woke up, see if he knows anything about them moving Prof. Song or the TRADIS's whereabouts."

"Which you were supposed to have already done," the Doctor mutters waspishly, tossing more bits over his shoulder.

Rose rounds on the Doctor, her earlier confusion making a quick transition straight into anger. "Do you have something you'd like to say, Doctor?" She's in front of him so suddenly he's startled into dropping the metallic cylinder he's holding.

"I don't really think we're in the proper situation for a snipe-and-pout fest, so for once why don't you actually say what's bothering you so we can fix it? I'm out for ten bleeding minutes, and you're acting completely different when I wake up. Did something happen while I was out that neither of you are telling me?"

Though they try, the Doctor and Jack can't suppress the quick, guilty glance they exchange before looking decidedly anywhere except at each other.

"Of course not," the Doctor says quickly. He blanches under the sudden heat of her glare and quickly amends, "Well, nothing important, anyway." He's twisting his hands together in a rather agitated way.

"Right," she says, not even bothering to hide her frustration and disbelief. "So, we've got two of our party to rescue now, including our transportation, which we assumed was safe, we haven't contacted our one ally in this whole organization, we have yet to figure out what the bad guy's ultimate evil plan is, and now you two are hiding things from me?"

Jack raises his eyebrows, looking impressed. "That's…yeah, that about sums it up."

"Rather astute observations, I'd say," the Doctor adds sheepishly.

Rose snorts, narrowing her eyes at both of them. "As much as I appreciate the compliments, that's not quite the point. Do you two really feel this is the time or the place for any of us to be withholding information from each other? Seriously?"

The only answers she receives are guilty and slightly abashed looks from both men. She sighs, somehow managing to get a stranglehold on her frustration, and shoves herself into critical thinking mode. "Fine. You two aren't talking, so I will. Jack, get to communicating with Alonso, and I mean now. Find out as much as you can about River, the TARDIS, and everything in between. See if he knows how tense the situation is upstairs, what's the status of the alert, what the soldiers will do when we're sighted, that sort of thing. Now for you, Doctor."

He flinches when she turns back to him, clearly expecting another reprimand at the very least. She smothers the urge to deliver exactly what she feels he deserves at the moment, reminding herself that she's far too old and much too mature to resort to such violent, unnecessary tactics just now.

Well, mostly unnecessary.

"I only have questions for you at the moment, Doctor, so no need acting like I'm going to hit you. Yet, anyway. Will the dampener you built work once we leave the room, or is there some way to make it portable if the range isn't strong enough? Are you working on anything else just now that I need to know about? Can you tell anything about what they're doing to the TARDIS specifically or only that they're hurting her?"

Some of the tension leaves the Doctor's shoulders and a relieved smile crosses his face at her line of questioning. "I've put together portable dampeners for you and me to take with us once we leave here. They go around your neck on these strings I've found." He holds out a crude necklace that looks like nothing so much as a large-ish metal nut and bolt combination hung from rough packing twine.

"As long as you keep it on your person somewhere, the TARDIS's distress call shouldn't affect you. I can't tell what exactly they're doing to her, because the intensity and the pain of the signal overwhelm pretty much everything else when I let them in." Rose can hear the pain in his voice as he relays this bit of information, and she stifles the urge to comfort him. With the squirrely way he's been acting since she woke up, there's no telling how he might react.

"As for what else I'm working on, well…let's see…" He starts to shuffle through the piles of things on the table in front of him, but before he can resume speaking, another question occurs to Rose.

"Doctor, couldn't the distress call lead us to the TARDIS if we could dampen it just enough to keep out the pain? Maybe filter out some of the signal or, I dunno, turn down the volume sort of thing? That might even let you concentrate enough to find out what they're doing to her"

The Doctor looks up from his gadgets, a sudden proud smile lighting his face. "Look at you, Rose Tyler! I knew you'd think of something, you always do! I'll just bet I can do exactly that, I just need to switch some of the circuitry and adjust the—"

"Rose, you should look at this," Jack interrupts. She looks back at the Doctor only to find he's already lost in his gadgets again, sonicking away happily and muttering to himself. She watches him silently for a moment before turning away.

"Did you get a reply from Alonso?" She asks, looking over his shoulder at River's handheld. There are more schematics on the screen, a location Rose hasn't seen yet despite her and the Doctor's earlier wanderings. Three bright red dots are lit up on the screen, two near the top and one on the far left. In the bottom right hand corner of the map is a small blue dot.

"Yeah, he was a bit worried since he hadn't heard from us in a while. He said they must have moved River while he was helping you upstairs earlier, that's why he didn't catch it. He's located three different areas where they're most likely to have taken her, but he can't be sure. He says he can personally check out that one," Jack says, pointing to the red dot on the left. He then indicates the blue dot, continuing, "This is our current location, and the two dots at the top are for us to check out."

Rose nods. "I was hoping he'd have a better idea, but it makes sense that they wouldn't tell the soldiers the location of one of their most valuable assets against the Doctor. I'll bet he didn't know anything about the TARDIS being taken, either, or he'd've mentioned it earlier."

Jack shakes his head. "He didn't even know they took her until I asked him."

"Did he say anything about the search or Madame Kovarian's location?"

"They've widened the search parameters to include the entire base above and below ground. Soldiers have been ordered to stun and apprehend on sight, but not kill. As for Madame Kovarian, she keeps some sort of device on her that blocks anything from tracking her location. He thinks she might be in the command center, and he's not quite high enough clearance to know the location for that yet."

Rose's eyebrows lift a little at this unexpected information. "Really? He's a soldier in their military, a major even, and he doesn't know where command is?"

Jack shrugs, a what-can-you-do gesture. "I told you, Rosie, they keep things very hush around here. It's not like he's terribly high up in the command chain, anyway. He's technically only had clearance into the underground part of the base for a few weeks now."

"Alright, so…" Rose takes a moment to sort through this new information. Escalated patrols, unknown enemy location, precious little intel on any of their objectives. "And he still doesn't know the ultimate plan involving the Doctor, either, I'm guessing?"

Jacks shakes his head in negation.

She nods, making up her mind. "We're going to have to split up, that's all there is to it. Jack, how much more time can you give us?"

"Only another hour, two at the most." He's apologetic, but Rose understands.

"You said Alonso pulled you out at a bad time. I can't expect you to stick around for a whole adventure you didn't sign up for when you've got other things on your mind. Just glad you were around for this long. Once you leave, if you can sort your situation out quickly, you can always come back to help out. Doctor, how close are you to reworking that dampener?"

"I've just finished," he says, slipping the string around his neck. "Here, bring me yours, and I'll rework it."

"No need," Rose says quickly. She goes on before he can argue, "No, listen, we have to split up for a bit. It's the fastest way to locate everyone and everything we have to find. We have no idea what they're even doing to River just now, and you've got to get to the TARDIS as quickly as possible. On top of that, they're looking for you and me together, Doctor. Jack and I will check out two of the three places we think she's being held, Alonso will find the third, and you use your tracker to find the TARDIS."

Jack and the Doctor immediately begin voicing opinions, pointing out different flaws and what-ifs to her plan, and Rose holds up a hand without saying a word. Both men fall silent.

"Unless either of you has a better idea, this is literally it. Our two options are to either follow my plan or leave this planet with the vortex manipulators we've got. Neither is perfect, but I can sure as hell tell you which I prefer." Neither Jack nor the Doctor speaks, which Rose takes as a sign she should continue.

"The only problem I can really think of with my plan besides the obvious dangers of getting caught is communication. Obviously, whoever has the handheld can communicate with Alonso. The thing is, Jack and I have to take the handheld so we can find our way to the two spots on the map. This leaves the Doctor without communication, so we won't be able to tell each other if one of us finds what we're looking for or if one of us gets into trouble. Slim odds of that happening, I know, but just in case."

"Actually," Jack interjects, looking pleased that he can contribute, "that vortex manipulator you're wearing can serve the exact same functions as the handheld. In fact, you can even communicate verbally with Alonso if you want. I'll show you how to use it, and that way we can leave the handheld with the Doctor."

"And," the Doctor adds, "I've programmed the signals of our dampeners into both devices so we can track each other on the maps."

Rose is just about to agree when something occurs to her. "What if one of us gets caught? Then the soldier's will be able to find the other from the signals in the communicators."

"Ah, yes…that is a problem. Hang on." He digs through his junk piles for a moment until he withdraws what looks like, to Rose's eyes at least, a couple of purple metal pushpins. "These'll do nicely. Here, give me your dampener." Rose hands over her device and watches as the Doctor inserts the pin and sonics it into place. He hands it back with a flourish.

"What'd you do?" she asks suspiciously, slipping the twine back over her head.

He gives her a rather affronted look as he repeats the procedure with his own dampener. "I'm rather insulted you don't trust my tinkering expertise. I'll have you know I have an advanced degree in mechanical tinkering."

"This from the man who made something that was only supposed to go 'ding' when there's stuff and additionally ended up causing hens to explode from thirty paces away," Rose mutters, her tongue peeking from between her teeth as she grins at him.

He starts to return her smile, then blinks, clears his throat, and looks away as he drops his own dampener into place around his neck. He clears his throat and says brusquely, "Ah…yeah…so…I've just installed a standard off switch. If you're captured, hit the purple button, and it'll sever your signal to the communication devices. That'll also be a signal to the other person that something's gone wrong, and it'll log your last known location to the other person's communicator without logging it to yours. And if I've done my algorithms correctly, it should also wipe the communication and location logs from your device, as well. "

He stops for a moment to catch his breath then continues, "Also, since our pictures are displayed all over the walls in every corridor, I've attached a weak perception filter that will alter our appearances enough to make us unrecognizable to the patrols. Just don't have any prolonged conversations with anyone; if they look at you long enough, they'll see through it."

Rose openly gapes at him, her mouth literally hanging open. She's partially bemused by his continued abrupt mood shifts, but she's mostly surprised that even after all this time he can still say or do something that absolutely floors her.

He fidgets uncomfortable under her awestruck gaze. "What? What did I do?"

"All that? You did all that in under thirty seconds?"

"A lifetime you spent with my counterpart, and that impresses you?" Her eyed flash to his, and she can see he instantly he regrets his words. From the way he and Jack are now both avoiding her gaze she guesses there must be something unpleasant about her expression. From the sudden ache in her chest, she can guess what the unpleasantness might be, but they simply don't have time to linger on it.

She clears her throat again (_definitely_ just to signal a change in subject, no other reason) and says, "Alright, so we've got our basic plan. Silent communications from here out unless the other party verifies they are in safe positioning for oral communication. If one of us is captured, hit the purple button. If one of us needs the other, communicate immediately. Regular communications every twenty minutes. I will, of course, let you know when Jack has to leave, Doctor. We'll formulate a meet-up plan if we either meet our objectives or find our objectives to be unobtainable. Any questions?"

"Have I ever told you how attractive I find authoritative women, Rosie? Because I've got to say, you can order me around any time," Jack grins, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively as he tosses a mock salute in her direction. The Doctor shoots a peevish glower in Jack's direction but doesn't speak.

She stifles a smile. "At ease, soldier. No need for full attention above or below the waist. Any other questions? Good. Alright, men, let's move out."

They open the door cautiously, looking quickly down the corridor in both directions. The red lights are still flashing, but at least they've turned off the ridiculous sirens. Rose looks to the Doctor one last time before they split up. She stifles the urge to hug him and instead offers him what she hopes is an encouraging smile.

"Good luck, Doctor."

He looks for a moment as if he's going to say something, opens his mouth, then sighs and gives her a sad half-smile. He turns and sets off down the hallway. Rose watches him go silently until he turns a corner and is out of sight.

"C'mon, Captain. Let's go rescue the woman who reportedly doesn't need to be rescued and yet somehow apparently does."

_Author's Note: So, less of a cliffhanger this time. Jack's departure is imminent, but never fret; I'm not killing him off, wouldn't dream of it. He's just got his own things to take care of. Thanks again to everyone who's read, reviewed, favorited, and followed so far. You are all fabulously wonderful. If you've made it this far, please take a moment to leave a little something in the review box on your way out. Remember, I can't fix it if I don't know it's broken._


	19. Chapter 19

The last few minutes with Jack have been blessedly silent, allowing Rose time to gather her thoughts and think about how she wants to broach the subject she's been dissecting in her head. Eventually, she figures the direct approach is best when it comes to dealing with Jack.

"Tell me what happened while I was unconscious, and don't lie to me, Jack."

He sighs, obviously expecting the question. "It's not really so much that something _happened_ while you were out, Rose. I mean, technically nothing actually happened except that you passed out from the TARDIS signal, the Doctor just managed to stay conscious, and he built that dampener thing. Then you woke up."

"Like hell that's all that happened!"

"Voice down, Rosie," Jack mutters as another patrol passes them on the opposite side of the hallway. Rose immediately forces herself to walk calmly, normally, and is once again grateful for the perception filter the Doctor thought to install. She waits until the patrol is out of hearing, then turns ferociously on Jack.

"I lived that life with the Doctor ages ago where I was told what he felt I needed to know, and I was not told the things he thought I wouldn't understand or didn't need to know. I am not that child anymore, Jack, and any tiny thing could mean the difference between someone living and someone dying here. If you two wanted to keep whatever the hell this is from me, you should've done better acting jobs!"

She drops her voice again as another group of people hustle past them in the hallway, and her mouth tightens in frustration. Without thinking, she turns and swipes her card in the nearest panel, punches in the code, and bodily drags Jack into the room. After quickly ascertaining the absence of anyone else, Rose turns a burning gaze on her companion. She can feel a slight, pained pressure building behind her eyes.

"Talk," she says abruptly.

"Seriously, Rose, when you bark orders like that, it's awfully…" Jack's last-ditch attempt at a winning smile withers under Rose's acidic glare. She crosses her arms over her chest, lips tightening as she waits somewhat less than patiently.

"Alright, alright!" Jack holds his hands up in surrender. "I mean, it's not like anything…_technically_…happened. Much. Exactly. The Doc just asked me to keep some of the details between me and him, that's all."

"You're stalling," Rose snaps archly. "And if nothing happened, you shouldn't have any trouble talking about it. We're on borrowed time, Jack, and I won't ask again. I had plenty of time on the TARDIS with the Doctor telling me what he thought I needed to know, and that never worked out as well as he thought it would. That was nearly two lifetimes ago, and I'm done with it, Jack. I've dealt with Torchwood security breaches more nicely than I'll deal with you if you don't start talking, and I mean something like ten minutes ago!"

Jack lets out a defeated sigh and crosses his arms over his chest defensively. "The truth…Okay, for starters, you weren't out for ten minutes. It was really closer to an hour and a half."

Rose's eyebrows lift in surprise, but she doesn't allow any other expression to cross her face. She waits for him to continue.

"I didn't want to lie to you, but the Doc said that under the circumstances, it was better not to worry you and to just give you the 'ten minute' story. He said if you didn't remember anything from when you were out, it'd be better."

"Remember anything like what?"

"Mostly screaming and thrashing," Jack answers quietly. "Scared me pretty badly there for a while, Rosie. Then there was the muttering a moaning; most of it even I couldn't understand. The bits I could were something about a song, so I figured you were communicating with the TARDIS somehow. Then you were completely out: no movement, barely breathing, hardly even had a pulse. And you were burning up, practically glowing with heat."

Rose shifts uncomfortably, losing a bit of her righteous indignation, and frowns. She tries to recall something, anything from that lost time frame, but all she succeeds in calling back are two nasty throbs of her headache before it subsides into a dull, background pounding.

"Okay, so I was in more danger than the two of you told me at first. So what? What's with the secrecy club? I've been in worse trouble loads of times; hello, director of Torchwood for a decade or three. What was so special this time that you two felt the need to feed me a fake story?"

Jack glances at his feet, frowning, then looks back up to her face, though he doesn't quite meet her eyes. "You scared us both pretty badly with the fits, but when you moved into the muttering phase, that's when you really freaked the Doctor out. Rose, whatever you were saying then really shook him up. It's what finally spurred him to make that psychic dampener. Before that, he never moved from your side, and he held your hand as much as he could. He kept trying to talk to you in that language you were using."

Rose absorbs this information, her lips pursing as she thinks. Then she realizes what Jack isn't saying. "Wait a minute, you mean besides the headache and hearing the TARDIS screaming, the Doctor wasn't affected at all? I black out and have these horrible possession-like fits, and all he bloody well needs is a Tylenol?"

Jack shrugs, clearly at a loss. "I didn't see much out of the ordinary with that. Aside from the difference in your physiological make-up, I figured the Doc's got a different sort of connection with the TARDIS than you do, and he could handle her distress call better."

"Maybe," Rose says doubtfully, "but—"

She's interrupted by an insistent chirping from the cuff on her wrist. Jack straightens and hurries to her side, muttering, "Need to show you how to work this thing, anyway. It's Alonso or the Doc checking in; I didn't realize so much time had passed. As soon as we answer this and I show you your way around the manipulator, we've got to haul ass, Rose."

…

"Alonso found no sign of Prof. Song, and the Doc is still working his way toward the TARDIS. But you've got the manipulator down now?" Jack asks as they jog down the hallway.

Rose wearily eye contact with the giant picture of herself that continues to flash on the corridor walls at consistent intervals. "I know how to send messages, receive messages, transport back to the room where I blacked out, and how to send and receive voice calls. Anything else I should know about?"

"If we find Prof. Song, I'll show you how to use it to scan people for basic health problems," Jack replies. "Pull up the map like I showed you, and tell me how close we are."

Rose barely slows her pace as she taps the correct keys and peers at the small screen. "Two more left turns, a right corner, then straight at the three-way."

"Rosie, you know I'm never that picky during a three-way. I won't lie, though, I do like being in the middle."

Despite her lingering frustration and anxiety, a smile creeps across Rose's face as they round the next corner.

Two lefts, a right corner, and a middle corridor later, Rose and Jack stop in front of yet another unmarked door.

"Do they really not believe in signs in this place?" Rose asks, exasperation creeping in.

"It's all part of the 'Need to Know' policy. You're not in charge, you don't need to know; you go where you're told."

"I think that'd be a bit easier if they could say things like, 'Go to the evil med lab. Watch for the signs, you can't miss it," Rose mutters.

"Focus, Rosie. If Prof. Song isn't in here, we need to be in and out without attracting any attention. I have a feeling we're reaching the end of our luck on this one, and I can't stay around for too much longer."

Rose takes a slow, steadying breath and straightens her back. "Alright. You do the talking, if there's anyone in here. I'll follow your lead this time."

Jack flashes a grin. "I love a woman who knows when to bark orders and when to sit back and hang on tight. Let's find ourselves a professor." Rose holds the door open for Jack as he marches into the room. She follows at his heels, trying hard to hide a grin.

…

"If I hadn't been there, I'd never believe you. I'd think it was one of your bragging, swaggering, intergalactic bar room bragging stories you always go on about," Rose mutters as she steps back into the corridor behind Jack.

He doesn't bother hiding his grin as he tucks a piece of paper into one of his pockets. "At least it wasn't a complete bust," Jack replies, checking his own vortex manipulator.

"How was it not?" Rose asks. "We didn't find River or learn anything new about what's going on here. We barely kept me from being recognized and caught. And while I'm impressed, I don't count you getting the equivalent of those soldiers' phone numbers as a victory, Jack."

"Every little bit helps," he says cheerily. He snaps the cover closed on his wrist cuff. "The next dot is a few corridors over. No change with Alonso, he's investigating any other possible locations we might need to know about, and the Doc's run into a bit of a problem but he says not to worry."

"So he's captured and hung upside down over a bottomless pit, is what you're saying?" Rose asks. They make their way briskly down the hallway, ignoring the images of her and the Doctor that continue to flash along the walls.

"I didn't want to lie to you, Rose. The Doc was really insistent, though, and to be honest…"

"That'd be a first from you today," she replies waspishly.

He shoots her a look, and she falls silent again. Jack continues, "I'm kind of worried about him. Is it me, or does this Doctor seem a little, I dunno…"

"Unstable." The word comes out far more quickly and flatly than Rose intended, and Jack glances at her sharply again. "I've seen it too. He had so much loss when he regenerated this time, and he lost some…friends recently. He doesn't seem to be handling this particular emergency to the best of his abilities, does he?"

"I think you might've hit the nail on the head with 'unstable.' He went almost as unresponsive as you after you stopped muttering. Wouldn't answer me while he was working on the dampener. When he finally finished it and got it activated, he just kind of…went off on some sort of tangent, this horrible rant. I couldn't catch most of it, but there was an awful lot of 'All I do is hurt people' and 'Can't lose another one.' I thought he was talking about you, but…"

"What, Jack? Don't you think there's been enough secret keeping today?" Her headache twinges harshly behind her left eye, apparently trying to make sure she knows it's still present. She glances at the map on her manipulator once more, checking their proximity to the next location, then looks back at Jack.

"Well, after he got the dampener working, he wouldn't go near you again until you showed signs of waking up. It was like he didn't want to get too close to you or something. And you saw how he was acting after you woke up." Jack eyes Rose cautiously as if he's afraid she's going to jump down his throat again.

"We're one junction and a corner away from our next location," Rose says, avoiding a response and ignoring the nagging ball of dread that seems to have taken up semi-permanent residence in her stomach. She's not sure just how closely she wants to examine all of her fears right now, especially those concerning the Doctor. For just a moment, she remembers her first couple of years traveling with him, when even the danger was thrilling and exciting.

But she's far too old and battle-scarred for those flights of emotional fancy now.

"Coward," she mutters.

"What?"

She shakes her head, both to clear her thoughts and to reassure Jack. "That wasn't aimed at you or what you said, I'm just talking to myself. Any brilliant plans for the next location, Jack? I don't think you can flirt your way out of too many more confrontations today. That might be pushing our exhausted luck a little far."

Jack's eyes bore into the back of Rose's head as she takes the lead at the next junction. "You're not fooling anyone, Rose. You need to talk to him, get him to let some of the crazy out before he explodes. When you were out, he seriously went toward the edge there for a bit, if not danced right along it. I think if you just—"

"_If I what, Jack?!_" Her temper flares, hot and sudden, and it takes every ounce of her self control to keep from shrieking at him. "I've been back with the Doctor for a grand total of less than ten hours, and not only are we already fighting for our lives, but I have to help the man I love, who I've already lost more times than I want to count, find and rescue his wife who has recently melted in a puddle of plastic. _His wife, Jack!_ And all the while I'm asking myself what he's going to decide in the end, who he's really going to choose. He's said he won't lose me again, not this time, and she's told me I'm better for him than she is, and yet I'm spending my first day with this Doctor in over a hundred years trying to reunite him with his bloody spouse! Do you have any idea what that's like, Jack?"

There's silence between them for a few moments as Rose forces her temper to cool before she says anything she'll actually regret. Jack gives her a wry smile. "More idea than you know, Rosie. I'm no stranger to weird love triangles. In fact, I'm no stranger to love hexagons. There was this one time—"

"Okay, okay," she says, interrupting. She throws her hands up in a defeated gesture. "I forgot who I was talking to. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm doing the best I can considering I have no idea what I'm doing." She offers Jack an apologetic smile.

"Sounds par for the course when you're with the Doc," Jack replies, his own smile softening. They turn the last corner and reach yet another deserted corridor. Rose glances behind them then gazes as far down the hallway as she can in the other direction.

"If I didn't already think we were in over our heads, I'd say I was getting a bad feeling about this." She pinches the bridge of her nose, trying to squeeze back the headache that is valiantly attempting a comeback appearance.

"You alright over there?" She glances up to see Jack's concerned gaze resting on her. His eyes widen for a moment, but he wipes the expression from his face before she can identify it.

"Don't worry about me. We've found it." Rose stops next to the door indicated on her manipulator.

Jack turns to her suddenly, frowning, and Rose wonders if he's going to mention the look he gave her a moment ago. Instead he says, "Just so you know, Rose, when my time runs out here, I do actually have to go. I don't want to ditch you, but the condition of me coming here in the first place was an automatic return alarm so I couldn't stay longer than I allowed for. I'll get pulled back to where I was, and I won't be able to stay with you…no matter what's going on."

"But...you have a vortex manipulator, Jack," Rose points out, perplexed. "You can go back to any time you want."

"Normally, I'd agree with you, but whenever I'm around the Doc, time travel seems to not work quite as reliably. If I don't have a preset return, I'm liable to end up back in the 1800s again."

Rose has a brief flash of Scotland in 1879 and a missed concert. "I really can't argue with you. If that's the case, then we're wasting precious time. Let's get to it."

Rose goes through the motions of the security ritual once more and holds the door opens for Jack. The minute the heavy panel swings shut behind them, Rose can quite literally feel the difference in this room.

"This is it," she whispers, not sure why her voice suddenly drops. A brief flash of hesitation runs down her spine, and he racing thoughts take off in random directions. _River's in here somewhere_, she thinks. _His wife, the Doctor's wife. The man…no. The Doctor who could never bring himself to tell me that he loved me. He had to bloody well turn human before he could even do that, and now he's gone and married someone else._ Then she shakes her head sharply, clearing it.

"I made my choice a long time ago," she murmurs to herself. Jack is too busy scanning the room to pay her any attention.

The lighting is like something from a horror movie, an acidic green that occasionally flickers with a dull, sickly yellow. Why anyone could ever possibly need such a lighting scheme is beyond Rose, but it's surprisingly not the first time she's come across something so seemingly useless and simultaneously sinister during her adventures. And the size…

Rose has seen rooms bigger than this, seen rooms similar to this, but nothing of this type that was in this magnitude. Lab equipment is arranged in some sort of maze-like design around the vast, warehouse-sized space in some sort of pattern that probably makes sense to someone, though certainly not to her.

Computer monitors and various other machines are gathered around countless examination tables, and walls of ten-foot metal shelves and cabinets obscure any line of sight they might have to the far side of the room. Though she can't make out the full size of the space, she can tell by the stretch of ceiling visible above them that the room goes on for quite a ways.

"She's here," Rose repeats, a bit louder this time.

"How do you know?"

"Call it a hunch," Rose mutters.

A row of evenly spaced exam tables and accompanying computer equipment stands between the pair of them and access to the rest of the room. Stepping as carefully and silently as possible, Rose follows Jack deeper into the room. As they pass between two tables, Rose eyes the monitors and panels of dials and switches surrounding each station. She shudders, a sharp twinge stabbing right above her right eyebrow, as her eyes fall on the ominous, rather formidable sets of restraints fastened to each table.

"Think we found the evil med bay you mentioned earlier," Jack mutters darkly. "Might be getting an idea of why they don't share what they're doing here with the average Joes upstairs."

Rose takes the lead now, weaving her way through the thus-far deserted lab, careful not to disturb or even touch any of the equipment. Everything looks rather abandoned, but recently so, as if everyone was ordered to straighten up and leave in a hurry. As she leads Jack along the a wall of what appears to be the backside of a row of metal cabinets, she wonders briefly if something might've gotten left behind in the sudden, hasty departure.

"How do you know where you're going?" Jack breathes, barely audible. The further they've moved into the room, the quieter the two of them have gotten.

"The same way you knew to start whispering and I know River is in here somewhere…gut instinct," Rose murmurs. "Better questions: where'd everyone go, why'd they leave in such a hurry, and did they leave some sort of clue behind? Maybe something to let us know what they're up to…This is a pretty elaborate 'med bay,' if you ask me."

"You think they knew we were coming?" Jack asks, latching on to the first two of her questions.

Rose reaches the end of the metal wall and cautiously pokes her head around the side. She does a quick visual sweep of the suddenly-open space, and in the room's strange lighting, she almost misses the body lying on the nearest exam station in a row of identical tables and equipment.

From the uniform, Rose concludes that the man is a soldier from the base above.

From the lack of any movement and the missing top half of his skull, Rose concludes that he is beyond any sort of help at this point.

"I don't know, Jack, but I think I might be getting an idea of what they do to the average Joes who find out more than they should. Might also explain why people up top are so willing to blindly follow orders; apparently, there's a chance you might get dragged down here for God knows what kind of twisted..." she trails off, staring at the lifeless man on the table.

Jack shoots her a quizzical look then steps around her and the end of the cabinets. She can tell the moment he spots the dead soldier. His jaw tightens, his eyes harden, his entire body tenses, and for a moment Rose isn't quite sure what he's going to do. Then the moment passes, and Jack lets out a slow breath. He visibly forces the tension from his limbs as he steps out from behind their temporary cover. He moves cautiously over to the body and examines the soldier as best he can without touching him.

Rose follows Jack's lead and reluctantly runs her eyes over the still form, starting at his feet and working her way up to the disturbingly smooth amputated rim at the top of his head. Her eyes fly back to the corpse's face, however, and her stomach roils with a nasty stab of horrified recognition.

"I know who he was," Rose whispers. Jack glances at her, and she wordlessly holds up the ID badge attached to her uniform. "He's the guard River stole this badge from when they arrested us. I remember him. Do you…do you think this is punishment for losing his ID?"

"Corporal Santos." Jack's face is unreadable as he looks the card over then turns back to the body laid out on the table. "They don't even get first names here, really? No information, no real idea of what's going on, expected to blindly follow orders because they're being paid to do it, and they don't even get the recognition of their own first names. His badge doesn't even have a picture on it." He pauses, eyebrows lowered, frowning at a spot on the floor in front of him. "No one deserves something like this, Rose. It's sick. It's not right."

She turns away from where she'd been examining the ID card to look at the dead soldier's face once more, and her reply dies on her lips. She takes a step back even as she's reaching for Jack with numb fingers as cold dread trickles down her spine.

"Jack…"

He's distracted, though, not paying attention to her efforts to move him. "What?"

Rose takes another step back, eyes on the corpse, one hand firmly trying to drag Jack back with little success. She'd use two hands, but her other hand is busily fumbling to release her gun from its holster.

"Something else isn't right in here, either. Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't Corporal Santos's eyes, y'know…closed?"

_Author's Note: Many humble apologies for inexcusable tardiness. I will do better next time. As always, thank you all so much for reading. Thank you to everyone who has followed, reviewed, favorite, and messaged me about this story. I would appreciate it if you would take the time to leave a word or two of response in the box on your way out._


	20. Chapter 20

Cold fear trickles from Rose's spine into her legs and feet, freezing her backwards progress. Jack apparently suffers a similar reaction as they watch Corporal Santos's attempts to sit up. Fortunately for the two of them, the restraints are closed firmly over the corpse's arms and legs. Relief seeps slowly in, bringing some feeling back into Rose's extremities as she watches the corporal struggle uselessly against the cuffs. She shudders at his jerking, mindless movements and forces herself to not think of all those stupid horror movies she and Mickey used to watch when they were kids.

"Let's go," Rose murmurs, tugging Jack's sleeve as she edges back. Moving slowly and precisely so as not to draw the dead thing's attention, they make their way back behind the row of metal cabinets and start to creep in the opposite direction of the creature. They've made it a few feet away when a horrible popping, clicking sound echoes behind them.

Rose stops in mid-step and turns to stare wide-eyed at Jack, only to find him in the same position, returning her precise expression. It would be almost comical if it weren't for the hairs on the back of her neck standing at rigid, terrified attention.

"Jack, you don't think—"

"That someone ordered all the lab personnel to evacuate, left a zombie in this torture chamber as a present just for us, and essentially just opened the package?"

She blanches as shuffling footsteps begin moving toward them. "Something like that, yeah…"

"As a matter of fact, I was thinking _just_ that. Run!"

Jack gives Rose a forceful shove, propelling her forward and deeper into the lab, away from the menacing, scuffling _thing_ behind them. They manage to avoid most of the lab equipment, sticking to partial walls created by cabinets and shelves as long as they can until they're forced to detour by a solid wall of shelving that blocks their current route.

Rose takes a hard right around a corner without slowing, leading them into another group of medical tables, and she's almost to the far side when her boot catches on the leg of something, sending her skidding across the floor and into a bank of computer equipment that refuses to give way for her. She manages to stifle her grunt of pain, but she's fairly certain the resulting crash of several large monitors falling over backwards will probably draw their stalker's attention.

Jack reaches her as fast as he can, dodging around tables and shattered pieces of paraphernalia, reaching down to help her to her feet.

"You alright there? Anything broken or injured?"

"Only my pride," she mutters, dusting herself off. "You think we lost it?"

"I think as long as we can keep ourselves ahead of it and keep a sharp look out, we should be fine. We're obviously faster than whatever is powering it, so let's just keep moving in whatever direction you think we should. As long as we can keep a good pace, I'm not worried."

This is, of course, exactly when the lights cut out.

The darkness is sudden and absolute, with not a single light source to be found in the entire warehouse-sized room. Rose wonders for a second how the workers are supposed to escape if there's a power outage, but then she realizes that a place that disciplines soldiers by converting them into undead stalkers is probably not overly concerned with safety. She and Jack stand in silence for several moments, their ears adjusting to the echoing quiet of the huge room, straining to hear anything.

"Would you say that's better or worse than my muck up with the alarm comment earlier?" Rose says under her breath.

"Depends on what you mean by 'better or worse'," Jack replies softly. She starts to answer only to silence herself as a dreadfully familiar sound reaches her ears. It's distant, but the unmistakable sound of shambling, dragging feet reaches her ears.

"You've got to be kidding me," she mutters. She immediately fumbles for her vortex manipulator, opening the cover and shining the light around the space like a torch. She keeps it open just long enough to get her bearings then slaps the cover back into place, shutting herself and Jack back into the dark.

An unexpected stab of pain pierces her forehead right between her eyes and sending a spike of dizziness through Rose that has her momentarily wobbly on her feet. She tries to grab something to steady herself, only to stumble backwards into Jack. He catches her elbows, managing to stabilize her before she wipes out again.

"What's wrong? I mean, more than the obvious? You sure you didn't hit your head when you fell?" Jack murmurs, grasping her tightly. The dizziness passes as suddenly as it came, though the headache refuses to recede this time.

"I'm fine," she mutters, straightening. "They're tracking us somehow, that's got to be it. Thing couldn't have found us so quickly, otherwise. Got to be quiet as possible, use the light only when necessary. We're headed for the far wall." Jack murmurs his assent, and though his tone is still concerned, he releases her arms without mention of her momentary lapse. He clasps the back of her jacket so as not to lose her in the gloom, and the two of them set off.

She uses her hands and feet more cautiously now, moving slowly and feeling her way along walls whenever possible. She carefully maneuvers ahead, occasionally murmuring a warning or instruction back to Jack and always —_always_—listening for those footsteps.

Twice more Rose flashes open her manipulator to get another mental picture of the room. The third time she opens it, she motions Jack forward to have a look before she closes off the light.

"Left, in what I'm pretty sure is the direction that we entered from; right around this blind corner; or keep going forward?" she says under her breath. Is it her imagination, or is Corporal Santos gaining on them?

"We know what's left, we vaguely saw what's ahead, and we have no idea what's to the right. You're sure River's in here?" Jack asks quietly.

"Absolutely," she whispers back.

"Into the unknown, then. Ladies first."

Rose snorts silently to herself as she eases around the corner. She takes as many steps as she dares, stopping only when the toe of her boot clinks softly against something. She reaches over and pops open her wrist cuff, flooding the area with a faint glow.

She immediately wishes she hadn't.

They're standing in the middle of another group of lab tables much like the one where they found the corporal's body and the one where she tripped. Unlike those areas, however, every single one of the medical beds is occupied by corpse after corpse, all of whom are missing the tops of their heads.

And all of their restraints are already open.

"They aren't up yet," Jack murmurs, hope and horror warring for control of his voice. "Maybe if we—"

The body on the table in front of Rose opens its eyes.

"I swear," she hisses, "Neither of us are allowed to speak ever again after this."

The body begins to sit up.

"_Run!_" She's not sure which of them says it, but they both obey the shouted command and bolt for the far side of the group of tables. All around them, Rose can make out vague forms clumsily fumbling off tables, reaching out for her and Jack to…

Well, she doesn't know what it _is_ they want to do, exactly, but she can't imagine it'd be anything good.

They race through the bodies, hurtling through an opening between two rows of shelves, and run blindly for nearly three full minutes before finally reaching the far wall of the vast room. Her hands slam against the wall as she skids to a halt, stopping her forward momentum roughly five inches before her face would have slammed into the wall. Jack, hot on her heels, manages to jerk to the side at the last second, and his back crashes against the wall next to her.

"You have…to…admit…it's actually…less creepy than that…green light," he gets out between bursts of panting. They can hear the army of shambling feet even over their ragged panting, and Rose's eyes flick up and down the wall, searching desperately for a way out. In the short range of her dim wrist light, all she can see is wall.

"We've gotta move; left or right, Rosey, you're the one with the seventh sense here!"

"We go right, then. Follow me!"

And they're off again, plunging into the suffocating darkness, running full tilt into the unknown with only a tiny light to guide the way a few feet in front of them at a time. Rose keeps the wall to her left and the vast space of the lab to her right. Every breath seems to be screaming in and out of her lungs, but she and Jack are already announcing their presence by keeping the light on and failing to muffle their footfalls, so there's not really any point to holding back.

Just when she thinks this room might somehow be reshaping itself to lead them on an infinite path of running until they collapse from exhaustion, Rose's light reveals a door about twenty feet ahead of them. She manages to signal to Jack to stop before he runs into her, and they stand in front of the doorway, gasping and clutching at stitches in their sides.

"This…is it," she manages to wheeze out.

He nods, barely able to wheeze out, "We…are…way too…out of shape."

"Haven't…run with…the Doctor in…ages…What's your excuse?"

"Getting weak…in my old age. Excuses aside," Jack says, catching his breath, "how're we going to get in there without power to the keypad? I don't figure this to be the kind of place that opens all the door locks just because of a power outage."

The lights cut back on exactly then, bright white lights that blind them with their unexpected intensity. As she wasn't even expecting the green ones to come back on, much less these clear white ones, Rose cringes and has to blink and rub her eyes for several moments before anything will come into proper, painless focus.

And, of course, she then immediately wishes it hadn't.

She has her gun drawn and pointed at the silent, menacing crowd of corpses before Jack's eyes have even cleared, though she hesitates to fire. She knows they're dead, they have to be (surely no one could survive that), but she doesn't know if it's possible for some spark of the person to still be in one of those bodies.

The crowd takes a few steps inwards, reaching out with their arms, then stops suddenly like puppets on strings or robots with remotes.

Definitely controlled by something or someone.

"Jack, heads up." He draws his own weapon, aiming at the crowd now, though she can tell he's still suffering some visual side effects from the sudden brightness.

"Any ideas? I think 'run' has been temporarily removed from the list of possibilities," Rose murmurs.

"I don't think we can blast through a crowd this size if they intend to harm or stop us," Jack replies under his breath. "Can't go over 'em, can't go under 'em, guess we'll have to—"

Jack is interrupted by a sudden, shrill alarm that rings out from his vortex manipulator. He flips the lid open to find the screen flashing. Rose whirls on the spot, and he just has time to meet her eyes with a look of horror before he disappears, leaving her with a racing heart and a strangled scream caught in her throat.

"Oh…oh, God," she croaks. The crowd of corpses stares at her, milky eyes blank and shining in the harsh light. Whatever's been done to them hasn't done anything to slow their rate of decomposition, and many of the bodies are in varying states of decay. Corporal Santos, the newest of the group (Rose assumes by his lack of rot), almost seems to glare at her in the harsh, unforgiving light.

"I…"

"Look like you need a back door out of this mess," says a voice behind her. As if the words are some sort of signal, the mob begins to rush forward, much faster than their former shambling speed, hands twisted into claws, and a hand clamps onto Rose's shoulder, jerking her backwards.

She's off her feet and on her backside, sliding across the floor as her rescuer slams the door shut. As she skids to a stop, she hears the lock snap into place with a click of finality and lets out a breath she didn't even know she was holding.

"Knew I'd find you in here somewhere," she says, a smile of pure relief breaking out across her face. "Dunno how I knew, but I had this feeling." She holds out her hand as River turns. They grasp wrists, and River pulls her up, waiting until Rose is steady on her feet before letting go.

River is dressed in much the same clothing that Rose saw her in earlier, and though she looks a bit paler and more tired, she seems fine, as far as Rose can tell. River silently regards her with grave eyes as Rose steps over to the door, listening for a moment to the sounds of scuffling and pounding on the other side of the door.

"Will the door hold, d'you think? Keep those things out long enough for us to get away?"

"Oh, I should think so," River answers. "They shouldn't be a problem now."

Rose regards the metal paneling of the door dubiously. "I dunno. I've seen crowds do some unbelievable stuff before, and those things moved pretty fast there at the end. Thanks, by the way, for saving me. I have no idea how I'd have gotten out of that on my own."

"Oh, don't thank me yet, dear. I'm only following orders."

"What—" The last thing Rose sees as she turns is something long and round connecting with the side of her head and River's smile. The stabbing pain between her eyes is joined by a flash of sharp, bright light as darkness engulfs Rose Tyler for the fourth time that day.

_Author's Note: I've been promising some of you drama. It's coming. Thanks to everyone who's stuck with me and the story so far. Twenty chapters from story that was originally supposed to be five chapters. Who'd have thought. If you've made it this far, please take a moment to leave a review in the box on your way out. Thanks so much._


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